Educational official held for fake approval to 14 high schools

HYDERABAD: An assistant commissioner for government examinations was arrested on Thursday for issuing fake permissions to 14 educational institutions to function as high schools. Based on a complaint lodged by the school education department officials, Central Crime Station (CCS) police had registered a case two months ago under Sections 420, 465, 468, 471 of the IPC & Section 7 & 13(1)(d) r/w 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
After initial probe, CCS police had arrested four officials - Mohammed Mansoor Ali, a junior assistant in the District Education Office (DEO), Hyderabad, Mohammed Abdul Ghani, assistant director of DEO, Mancheryal, and former superintendent of regional joint director for school education (RJDSE), Mohammed Hasan Sayeed, superintendent of RJDSE, and G Venu Gopal, a junior assistant of DEO, Hyderabad - for preparing fake documents permitting 14 schools to operate as high schools in early May.
Though the schools did not have recognition to operate as high schools, they collected bribe from managements and, in collusion with Gunza Samuel Yesubakth Joshua alias Samuel alias Joshua, assistant commissioner for government examination, examination branch, office of the DEO, Hyderabad, issued provisional recognition (PE), permission to open (PTO) and ETRs (extension of temporary recognition), allowing them to enrol students, assistant commissioner of police, CCS, K Srinivas Reddy told TOI.
The fraud came to light when the schools applied to get hall-tickets for students appearing for SSC. As names of the schools were not in the school department database, the DEO started an enquiry and later lodged a complaint with police.
The students were allowed to appear for the examinations and based on the confession of the four arrested accused in May, CCS sleuths arrested Samuel now. He would be produced in court for judicial remand.