DW BUREAU / Chandigarh Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Thursday demanded an independent probe into the alleged scam in recruiting dental surgeons in Haryana, saying it was important to unearth the "role of those in the higher echelons of power". Alleging that the Manohar Lal Khattar government was trying to hush things up in the "country's biggest job scam", the Congress general secretary demanded an inquiry by a Special Investigation Team monitored by the Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana. Surjewala pointed out that those arrested so far in connection with the alleged scam could not have operated without enjoying political patronage. "The recent arrests of Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) Deputy Secretary Anil Nagar and others have made it clear that it is the country's biggest job scam," he told reporters. Last week, Nagar and two others were arrested by the State Vigilance Bureau for allegedly manipulating marks of candidates who appeared in the written examination conducted by the HPSC for recruitment of dental surgeons. Nagar is alleged to have demanded and accepted illegal gratification to the tune of several crores of rupees. "Rather than unearthing the scam, the government is trying to push things under the carpet," Surjewala alleged. "The moment this scam got exposed, the government directed all its energy to hush things up," he said, adding that the Bharatiya Janata Party-Jannayak Janta Party government and the chief minister cannot be absolved of their accountability. "New facts that are coming out directly point towards the intention of the government to cover up the scam and save the culprits," he claimed. According to Surjewala, the vigilance department of Haryana had in a press release issued on November 20 stated that Nagar was arrested from his office with a bribe of more than Rs 1 crore. "Later, the vigilance department, in its remand application submitted in the court on November 23, reiterated this fact stating that Nagar was arrested with Rs 1.07 crore as bribe from his office in HPSC. "However, on the same day, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar refuted the news of Nagar's arrest. On the other hand, Nagar's lawyers have mentioned about non-recovery of any amount. Their statements are contradicting the vigilance department's claim," he said, alleging that the case would get "compromised" as the accused seemingly enjoyed the tutelage of the chief minister. "The question is, why did Khattar lie and whom is he trying to protect," Surjewala, a former Haryana minister, asked. "The chief minister's statement compromises the entire investigation. If the source from where the money was recovered does not get clear, then where does the case stand," he wondered. (editor@dailyworld.in)