Thaindian News

Jammu, Feb 8 (IANS) After seven days of inquiry, Jammu and Kashmir Police have reportedly indicted state Education Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed for using “unfair means” to favour his son in Class 10 examination in 2009.

A source in the crime branch of police told IANS that the inquiry revealed that Peerzada, a Congress man, used his official position to help his son Imam Sauban pass his Class 10 examination.

The minister in the National Conference-Congress coalition government was not available for comment despite several attempts.

The source said that the crime branch has not yet officially submitted the report to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

The chief minister had asked the crime branch to inquire into the matter and submit a report within seven days after the allegatuions surfaced Jan 30 this year.

A local newspaper in Srinagar first published a report on the issue along with photographs of Imam’s answer sheets of the Urdu and Mathematics papers for Class 10 examination. “Both papers were written by a senior education department official,” the source said.

Reportedly, the state education department and the Board of School Education (BOSE) “were hand in glove in the case”.

Earlier in 2010, another state minister, Ghulam Mohammad Saroori of the Congress party, had to quit for alleged impersonation in the entrance examination for getting his daughter admitted to a medical college.

Peerzada also resigned during his earlier stint as education minister in January 2008 following charges by Independent legislator Shoaib Lone that he paid a bribe of Rs.40,000 to him.