Gang of 10 caught over PSI question paper leak

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) conducted raids in various places in the state following a tip-off from the ‘question paper leak kingpin’, Shivakumaraiah alias Guruji, who is already in CCB custody.

The CCB conducted raids at Bengaluru, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Tumakuru and Gadag over the weekend and arrested a gang of 10.

The gang had tried to leak the Police Sub-Inspector Examination (PSI) question paper that was scheduled for Sunday.

“The PSI exams are being held in all the centres, and there is no worry as nowhere the question paper was leaked,” Raghavendra H Auradkar, ADGP (Recruitment & Training) told DH.

Shivakumaraiah was arrested by the CCB in December 2018. He confessed that he had leaked BMTC conductors examination question paper too.

Sources, meanwhile, indicated that the gang headed by Basavaraj, a Tumakuru resident, was trying to leak the PSI exam question paper as well.

Following this, the CCB registered a complaint against Basavaraj and agents Holiyappa, SK Poojari, Rathod, Dileep, Harsha, Santhosh and Nagaraj, at the Cyber Crime Police station on Saturday. Also, the CCB formed eight special teams to conduct raids in various parts of the state.

Modus operandi

With access to the candidates’ list, the accused had contacted the candidates appearing for the PSI examination over the phone, and offered them the question paper if they paid Rs 8 lakh. Then the question paper would be handed over a day before the exam at an isolated place. They even managed to collect the money from some of the candidates. Police had taken the statements of these candidates, a senior police officer told DH.

Additional Commissioner (Crime) Alok Kumar, who headed the operation, said the accused tried to leak the question paper, but they were unsuccessful and more information would be revealed once everyone is caught.

The police have booked the gang under IPC Sections 379 (theft), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) and also under the information technology act.