Kashmir's examgate: education minister indicted ?

Jammu: After seven days of inquiry, Jammu and Kashmir Police crime branch has reportedly indicted state Education Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed for using 'unfair means' to favour his son in the 10th class examination in 2009.

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

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 controversy came to light 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. '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.