Srinagar, Feb 9 (PTI) Pressure was mounting on Education Minister Peerzada Mohammed Sayeed today to resign from the Cabinet after the crime branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police found alleged irregularities in the anwser sheets of his foster son's Class 10 exam which he passed. Hectic consultations were also underway between ruling coalition partners National Conference and Congress on how to deal with the situation, sources said. Sources in the Congress said the Minister is likely to be asked to step down by tomorrow till the completion of further probe in the matter. Sayeed had to resign earlier also because of allegations of corruption while he was in Ghulam Nabi Azad's government. He had quit in January 2008 after being accused of demanding and accepting illegal gratification of Rs 40,000 from an independent MLA Shoaib Lone. Crime Branch had recommended investigating three officials belonging to the examination division of the J and K Board of Secondary Education in the matter. Imam Sauban, Peerzada Sayeed's son, had passed his Class 10 exam in 2009 allegedly with the help of Board of School Education officials. As the controversy broke out, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced an inquiry by the Crime Branch which carried out a detailed questioning of the Board officials. The answer sheets of the candidate were sent to General Examiner of Questioned Documents who opined that the three answer sheets had two different handwritings, the sources said.
