Ex-BJP corporator held in PU leak case

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested former BJP corporator Gangabairaiah in the II PUC Chemistry question paper leak case. The agency believes he permitted other suspects to use his house for tutoring students in the leaked paper.

The CID arrested Gangabairaiah on Wednesday after it learnt during the investigation that his house in Basaveshwaranagar was used by two other suspects — Obalaraju, who was personal assistant to minister Sharanprakash Patil, and Narayan S, who runs a consultancy in Sadashivanagar and is presently absconding.

“Oabalaraju bought the question paper on March 20, a day before the exam, and shared it with his relative Rudrappa. The children of Obalaraju and Rudrappa were to appear for the Chemistry paper the next day. Similarly, Gangabairaiah’s grandson was also to appear for the exam. So, he allowed the suspects to use his house to tutor the students in the leaked question paper,” a senior police officer said.

A source in the CID said the investigation had revealed that around 15 students had gathered at Gangabairaiah’s house to prepare for the next day’s exam.

With the former corporator’s arrest, the CID has apprehended 17 people for the paper leak which occurred in the Hangal sub-treasury in Haveri district. Besides the prime suspect Shivakumaraiah alias Guruji, the CID has arrested other main suspects Kiran alias Kumaraswamy, Manjunath and Anil, who were physical education teachers at different schools in Bengaluru.