The alleged involvement of Suheldeo Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) MLA Bedi Ram in paper leak cases has deepened as the legislator, caught in a sting operation in Uttar Pradesh, has gone missing. For two days, there has been no information about his whereabouts, and his mobile phone is switched off. Even party leaders are unaware of his location.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath summoned SBSP chief OP Rajbhar, who is also the Panchayati Raj Minister, for a meeting. Following the meeting, Rajbhar traveled to Delhi on Friday morning. “The BJP high command has requested a report on the matter as the government has taken a strict stance on the paper leak issue,” a senior official said.
During the meeting, Rajbhar distanced himself from the issue, stating that any appropriate decision against Bedi Ram should be taken by the Chief Minister. As Yogi questioned the involvement of Bedi Ram, Rajbhar was unable to defend his position before the Chief Minister, said a source.
The controversy arose when a video of Bedi Ram surfaced on June 26, showing him discussing papers and transactions with a youth. In the video, Bedi Ram claims to facilitate recruitment in multiple states, including Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh, and states that he recruits 40 people in each exam.
In response, the government has tasked the Special Task Force (STF) with investigating the sting video. Due to the involvement of an MLA, the STF has been instructed to conduct a confidential investigation.
Eight cases against MLA
Bedi Ram faces eight cases related to paper leaks in three states—Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. He has also been charged under the Gangster Act and has previously been incarcerated in Tihar Jail for a paper leak case. His involvement in such scandals spans 24 years, and he lost his job in the railways due to his actions.
Bedi Ram, originally from Azamgarh, is an MLA from the Jakhania seat in Ghazipur, considered close to SBSP president Om Prakash Rajbhar. Before entering politics, he worked as a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) in the railways and was dismissed 10 years ago for leaking the railway recruitment exam paper.
His name first appeared in connection with a paper leak in 2000, and he was arrested in 2009. He went to jail again in 2012 for the Chhattisgarh CPMT exam leak, a case for which the CBI arrested him and sent him to Tihar Jail.
In May 2014, an Ayurveda medical exam in Madhya Pradesh was canceled due to a paper leak, with candidates naming Bedi Ram as the culprit. Similarly, in 2013, two papers for the Madhya Pradesh PCS exam were leaked, postponing the interviews scheduled for July 30. Since 2006, 56 associates of Bedi Ram have been named in police charge sheets related to various paper leak cases.
Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Sanjay Nishad came to the rescue of Bedi Ram as he said that many edited videos circulate and an investigation is needed to verify the authenticity of Bedi Ram's video. He emphasized that CM Yogi is stringent on the paper leak case and urged Om Prakash Rajbhar to also pay attention.
