PSI exam paper never leaked: CCB after arresting 16

The Central Crime Branch have now arrested a gang of 16, including two women, in connection with the PSI (Police Sub-Inspector) recruitment examination question paper leak case.

CCB raids were on in many parts of the state on Monday, too, to nab the culprits. Ongoing investigations, meanwhile, confirmed the PSI question paper was indeed never leaked. According to the police, 'the touts were anticipating a leak' and luring in potential victims.

"The arrested persons include three police personnel, a few teachers and tutors at various coaching centres in and around the state, who were acting as agents," T Suneel Kumar, city police commissioner told DH.

CCB had formed nine teams shadowing the suspected agents, and based on credible information, conducted simultaneous raids in Bengaluru, Belagavi, Tumakuru and Vijayapura.

The CCB also arrested a few aspirants who attended the exam after paying for the 'question paper'. According to the CCB, the accused had promised the candidates they will be provided the question paper just a few hours before the examination. Further on, the accused collected money from the aspirants. They were in constant touch with the candidates in and around the state.

The accused had in fact tricked the aspirants using fake question papers, the police said.

The CCB also recovered Rs 41.2 lakh in cash, cheques worth Rs 3 lakh along with a few blank cheques given by the tricked candidates to the accused.

Additional commissioner of police (crime), Alok Kumar, said the racket came to light when the CCB was probing BMTC and KSRTC recruitment question paper leaks, registered at the Wilson Garden police station a few days ago.

One of the accused, Somappa Yamanappa Melinamani (34), who topped the BTMC written examination, was arrested by the Wilson garden police on January 7. He was later handed over to the CCB. Melinamani confessed to the police that he had passed the exam with the help of one Basappa Bhajantri Nimgod, a coaching centre owner, who provided him the 'question paper' for Rs 2 lakh.

CCB sleuths then tracked Basappa Bhajantri, who runs the Chanakya Career Academy in Vijayapura. Based on the information gathered from Bhajantri, the police arrested the others. Efforts are on to track the remaining accused who are on the run.

The sleuths also arrested eight candidates who were with the accused during the raids. "Many people are involved in the racket including two police constables, who escaped at the time of the raid. Efforts are on to nab them. Nagaraju, an ASI, working with the wireless department has been arrested as well," commissioner Kumar added.

Most of the accused run coaching centres and have links to the so-called 'question paper leak kingpin', Shivakumaraiah alias ‘Guruji’, presently lodged at the Parappana Agrahara prison.

"The CCB seized 26 backpacks from candidates who fled during the raids. The sleuths will now prepare a report on these candidates. They will write to the concerned departments with the details seeking legal action against the candidates," said commissioner Kumar.

Those arrested

The arrested in PSI question paper leak case: Basavaraj (40), Holiyappa (38), Santosh (31), Nagaraj, Dilip Kumar (32), Yadukumar M N (41), Karthik Reddy (23), Suresh (37), Nagaraju (45), ASI, wireless, Bengaluru, Harsha Kumar (52), Shivakumar Madakeshwara (24) from Tumakuru, Bhagyawantha Sagare (24) from Koppala, Arun Ramappa Mahareddy (25) from Belgaum, Hanumesh (24) from Belgaum, Neelamma Karegonda (24) from Raichur, Jayashree Rathod (27) from Bagalkote and Bhimashankar Rathod (53) from Vijayapura, a teacher.