Lucknow, June 9 (IANS): The Special Task Force (STF) will now investigate the scam in recruitment of assistant teachers in Uttar Pradesh.

UP Basic Education Minister, Satish Dwiwedi told reporters that the UP Police have arrested 10 people for allegedly accepting bribes running into lakhs of rupees from aspirants who sought jobs as assistant teachers during a recruitment drive for 69,000 posts in the Basic Education Department.

The main accused has been identified as K.L. Patel, a former zila panchayat member, who reportedly runs many educational institutions.

The police have also unearthed cash worth Rs 22 lakh and two luxury cars from the arrested persons.

The probe began after one of the candidates complained of the scam.

Prayagraj SP Satyartha Annirudh Pankaj said that the 10 were arrested in connection with fraud perpetrated in the recruitment and police was establishing facts and probing the links.

The arrests were made a week after the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court stayed teachers' appointments over petitions of candidates over the nature of the 'correct answers' to questions in the recruitment exam.

The petitioners contended that many questions had multiple correct answers as they were argumentative or ambiguous and not objective as prescribed. The state government has, however, challenged the stay.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, meanwhile, has likened the teachers' recruitment irregularity with the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh.

BSP President Mayawati has sought a CBI probe into the scam.