Staff at the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) office in the Charbagh station believed Bedi Ram, who is now absconding, managed to evade legal action in the past because of money and contacts. The Uttar Pradesh police, which played a crucial part in busting the racket just hours before a railway recruitment board exam was to start in Rajasthan on Sunday, said Bedi Ram had property worth crores.

S Anand, the DSP of UP Special Task Force who is probing the racket, said: “The details collected so far and the interrogation of other accused confirmed that Bedi Ram had got four palatial houses worth crores in Gomti Nagar over the past six years. While he stayed with family in a three-storey building, one each was bought in the names of his younger brother, cousin and uncle.”

He said Bedi Ram’s house, estimated to be worth more than Rs 1.25 crore, was fitted with expensive facilities. He has been living there since 2003. STF sources said Bedi Ram’s son is married to the daughter of a Deputy SP posted in Shahjahanpur district. This police officer had visited the STF headquarters when Bedi Ram was arrested on December 14 last year, for his alleged role in a similar railways question paper leak case. He later got bail.

Bedi Ram’s colleagues told The Indian Express that he had joined the railways as a Ticket Collector at the Gonda railway station. He was later transferred to Lucknow, where he got promoted as TTE about a decade ago.

The police said some railway employees in Lucknow were also part of the racket. “We have identified a few. Over a dozen candidates of the Ajmer recruitment exam were provided with the leaked papers at the places of these employees in Lucknow two days ago,” said Anand. “We also have concrete evidence of Bedi Ram leaking the paper of the Bhopal recruitment exam which was held on February 8. The exam had not been cancelled, as it came to light after the Ajmer racket was unearthed on Sunday,” the DSP said.

BEDI RAM AT WORK
2006: Bedi Ram first found involved in the leakage of a railways exams paper, suspended. Case drags on, and he is reinstated.

2008: He is arrested in December for alleged role in leaking question papers of a test held by the Railway Recruitment Board, Allahabad. Gets bail in January 2009.

February 2009: Bedi Ram emerges as main suspect in the leak of question papers of a test by Railway Recruitment Board, Ajmer. Police say he also leaked papers of the Bhopal recruitment exam held on February 8.