Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Nov 23: The Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police today arrested former Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Exams (JKBOPEE) chairman, Mushtaq Ahmad Peer in the Common Entrance Test- 2012 scam.
IG Crime Branch, Syed Javed Mujtaba Gilani, told Excelsior that Peer was arrested today. The Crime Branch is taking his remand tomorrow for further questioning.
Peer was questioned for four consecutive days by the Crime Branch before he was formally arrested today at the Crime Branch headquarters Rajbagh, Srinagar. He has been lodged at the Crime Branch headquarters lock up.
Peer will be further questioned for his role in the scam and the beneficiaries of the scam. Earlier soon after his arrest, he was taken to SMHS hospital for medical check up.
Board of Professional Entrance Exams (BOPEE) conducts professional entrance tests every year in the State to select candidates for medical, engineering and other degree courses.
The students were asked to come to a hotel one day before the CET-2012 and were given the question papers at the hotel. They were asked to prepare for the test next day. Next day, minutes before examination, they were dropped at their respective examination centres.
The scam surfaced when below average students were found topping the list of the selectees to MBBS courses in various Medical Colleges of the State during CET-2012.
The Crime Branch has also arrested Sajjad Hussain, another accused in the case taking the number of the arrested persons to two.
So far the Crime Branch has identified 12 beneficiaries of the CET-2012 scam while around 18 candidates are still under scanner.
Crime Branch yesterday froze two bank accounts of Peer where the account balance was Rs 18 lakh.
Peer has reportedly purchased huge property last year including two flats in New Delhi, one house in Jammu and 12 kanals of land in Srinagar’s Boulevard area.
Peer who is politically well connected was aspiring for Vice Chancellor to Islamic University of Science and Technology. He was re-employed as Consultant of the Service Selection Board (SSB) last and his contract was terminated by the Government this week after Crime Branch raided his residences.
Peer was appointed as head of the BOPEE for his political connections and was given two months extension even after State Cabinet appointed his successor on June 20, 2012. But his successor acted as Officer on Special Duty for two months before he took over as the chairman of the BOPEE.
Peer was appointed as head of BOPEE despite being a tainted official because of his political connections.
Meanwhile, fathers of Hovra Zahoor and Berjees Ismail whose rankings in CET-2012 were 111 and 112 respectively said that their daughters have excellent academic record. Both these are doing MBBS in SKIMS Medical College, Srinagar and have fared well in their first year MBBS examination. Hovra had 4th position in 10th and 12 standards while Berjees had secured 90 per cent marks in 12th standard and was selected in BDS in CET-2011.
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