The CBI, on September 9, filed a chargesheet against three senior UP government officials — Home Secretary Mahesh Kr Gupta, Special Secretary, Education, Prabhat Kr Sinha (both posted in Lucknow) and Deputy Director, Information, Raj Gopal Singh Verma, posted in Agra — for their alleged involvement in the 1998 recruitment scam in the Department of Information and Public Relations. Another accused, Akhilesh Chandra Shukla, who allegedly assisted Verma in collecting the ‘fund’ from candidates in Kanpur, was also chargesheeted. The India Express profiles the four accused.

Case File

• The scam dates back to 1998-99

• 280 aspirants were called for interview for recruitment on 70 vacant posts in Group D (clerical staff)

• Mahesh Kumar Gupta was then Director Information

• Prabhat Kumar Sinha was Additional Director, Information, and the Interview Committee Chairman

• Raj Gopal Singh Verma, then Deputy Director, Information, was the nodal officer for the committee

• On complaints by some candidates, the entire selection process was cancelled by the then CM, Ram Prakash Gupta

• A candidate, Amrendra Pratap Singh, filed a writ in the High Court against the cancellation of the process

• The HC asked the government to declare the results in 15 days, but it did not happen as the result sheet and the broad sheet were missing

• A report was filed at Hazratganj police station on January 8, 2002, under Section 409 of IPC (breach of trust)

... contd.