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Railway Ministry has suspended the chairman of the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), Mumbai, after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) uncovered a countrywide multi- crore recruitment scam that involved his son.

Vivek Bhardwaj, son of RRB Mumbai chairman S. M. Sharma, is among the eight people arrested by the CBI for his part in running a well- oiled racket that allegedly took up to Rs 3.5 lakh from each candidate for leaking question papers for recruitment tests held recently.

However, Bhardwaj failed to stay below the radar. He bought a swanky SUV, a Mitsubishi Pajero for Rs 20 lakh in cash – it was bought in a relative’s name — last week from the money he reportedly made in the scam. This indiscretion reportedly blew the lid off the scam.

Sources in the investigating agency said the CBI had details of at least 444 candidates who were supplied question papers ahead of the examinations.

Bhardwaj and his accomplices reportedly garnered over Rs 15.5 crore in these deals.

“ The CBI has arrested Sharma’s son, Vivek Bhardwaj, and seven others, who procured the question papers of two all- India railway exams conducted on June 6 and June 13 and leaked them to hundreds of aspiring candidates for a hefty sum. Bhardwaj was produced in a court yesterday (Thursday) with three others and sent to jail. Four more accused were produced in a court in Hyderabad today (Friday),” CBI spokesperson Harsh Bhal said.

A source said the CBI would recommend the railway ministry to scrap the all- India examination conducted on June 6 to recruit Assistant Loco Pilots, and on June 13 to recruit assistant station managers.

More than 25,000 posts were on offer. Over one lakh candidates had appeared for both the examinations.

“ Only a part of the question paper, even though it was a substantial part, was provided to a candidate just a day before the examination, after he had deposited Rs 1 lakh. His original education certificates were kept by the accused to make sure the candidate returned with the remaining sum after the examination,” a CBI source said.

If the candidate got the answers right for the questions leaked to him, it would get him through the examination. He would return to take back his certificates and deposit another Rs 2.5 lakh with the accused.

“ The accused knew they would get the balance amount as the candidate would not get a job without furnishing the original documents,” the source said.