ED Arrests Retired Professor in REET 2021 Paper Leak Scandal

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested retired professor Pradeep Parashar in connection with the REET 2021 paper leak in Rajasthan. Parashar, implicated in the heist of exam papers, was produced before a special court. Investigations have also led to the previous arrest of his assistant and the seizure of incriminating evidence.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has apprehended retired assistant professor Pradeep Parashar over the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) 2021 paper leak case. According to a statement on Thursday, the agency's investigation found that Parashar was the district coordinator appointed by the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) to oversee the examination scheduled for September 26, 2021.

In a significant breach of protocol, Parashar appointed his assistant, Ram Kripal Meena, without any valid authorization, granting him access to the strong room at Siksha Sankul in Jaipur, where the REET 2021 question paper was stored. As per the ED, Meena, in collusion with Parashar, stole the question paper on the night of September 24, 2021, and distributed it to other accused individuals in exchange for substantial financial gain.

Parashar was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, by the ED's Jaipur Zonal Office on July 10. He was presented before a special PMLA court in Jaipur, which remanded him to a three-day ED custody. The investigation, originating from FIRs and charge-sheets filed by the Rajasthan Police under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, had earlier led to extensive search operations at 32 locations, uncovering incriminating documents, digital records, and significant cash. In a related development, Meena was also previously arrested, and a Prosecution Complaint has been filed against him.