Jammu, Aug 25 (IANS): Senior National Conference (NC) leader Ram Paul Wednesday resigned from a party post after his son was accused of hiring an impersonator in a medical entrance exam, the party said.

A party release said Paul had resigned as chairman of the Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Cell of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference.

Paul resigned despite being "innocent in the matter" as he wanted to keep the party's image clean, the statement said.

His son was found as one of the accused who had hired an impersonator Aug 21 for the medical entrance test of a private medical college, Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences.

Paul's resignation comes amid reports that the high command has asked state Public Works Minister G.M. Saroori to resign after his daughter too was accused of hiring another girl to appear on her behalf in the examination.

Saroori is out of the country on a religious pilgrimage, according to sources close to him, and was therefore not available for comment.

The government has handed the case over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), official sources said.

The sources, however, refused to confirm whether the minister had submitted his resignation before leaving the country or he would do so on his return.