Abhinandan Mishra By

BHOPAL: The late RSS chief Sudarshan had recommended his aide Mihir Kumar’s name to Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board(MPPEB) scam kingpin and former minister Laxmikant Sharma, who allegedly rigged the food inspector’s exam in 2012 to ensure his appointment, the aide has told his investigators.

In his statement to the Special Task Force probing the scam, Mihir said: “I used to work as a helper for former RSS chief K Sudarshan. After filling up the application form for the food inspector exam, I gave a photocopy of the application form to Sudarshan with a request to ensure my appointment.

Sudarshan immediately called up Laxmikant Sharma and asked him to make sure that I clear the exam. Sharma assured Sudarshan that the work would be done. Sudarshan told me to solve the question paper to the extent up to which I knew the answers and leave the rest of the OMR sheet blank. I solved 50-60 percent questions in Hindi, English, reasoning, maths, physics and general knowledge and left the rest of the OMR sheet blank. When the result came out on October 18, 2012, I found my name at the 7th position on the merit list”.

The statement, recorded in November last year, is now part of the court’s records.

And former MPPEB examination controller Pankaj Trivedi told the investigators that Laxmikant had told him that Mihir was a “very important man close to (RSS leader Suresh) Soniji and it should be ensured that he passes the test”.

His statement, recorded in December last year, reads: “Former Higher Education Minister Laxmikant Sharma had recommended the names of Mihir Kumar (roll number 702735) for food inspector and said that Mihir is man of Soniji. Besides, Sharma had also recommended four other names -- Raj Kumar Dhakad (roll number-703897), Naresh Chand Sagar (roll number 707032), Sunil Kumar Sahu(711230), Avadhesh Bhargava(705133). Sharma’s OSD O P Shukla told me that all the five are very important candidates”.

According to Trivedi, he didn’t receive any money for “helping” these candidates.

On Thursday, the STF slapped fresh charges against Sharma for manipulating the results of the five candidates.

Denying the allegations, BJP vice-president Prabhat Jha said there was no truth in the revelations.