JAIPUR: Amrit Lal Meena, the alleged mastermind behind the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) paper leak scandal, has died under suspicious circumstances in Varanasi. The 56-year-old, a resident of Karauli district, was admitted to a private hospital in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, from 21 to 23 August.
On 24 August, he was referred to Jaipur for further treatment and was being shifted on a ventilator. However, he suddenly died en route to Agra. His body was subsequently taken to the district hospital in Hindaun City, where a post-mortem was conducted before being handed over to the family.
The family has alleged that Amrit Lal was poisoned and murdered in Varanasi. A complaint has been lodged at Nadauti police station, following which a zero FIR was registered and forwarded to Sigra police station in Varanasi for investigation.
Sources claim that the family was informed of Amrit Lal’s hospitalisation by a man named RK Singh Bihari from Varanasi. However, upon their arrival in the city on Sunday, RK Singh’s phone was found to be switched off. It is alleged that he, too, was involved in the paper leak racket.
A former government college lecturer, Amrit Lal was a key accused in the 2013 Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) exam paper leak case. Investigations revealed that out of the top 50 candidates in the RAS-2013 merit list, 32 hailed from his area—nearly 20 of whom were his own family members or relatives.
Following these revelations, the RPSC sent a confidential note to the Special Operations Group (SOG), which went on to expose the entire racket involving the leaking and sale of competitive exam papers. It was alleged that Amrit Lal and his network charged ₹30 lakh per candidate to guarantee success in both prelims and mains exams.
The SOG had also arrested Sanjeev and Hansraj Meena in connection with the scam. Amrit Lal reportedly provided leaked papers free of charge to at least five of his relatives.
With Amrit Lal's sudden and suspicious death, the already controversial RPSC paper leak case has taken a darker and more complex turn.