CCB books paper leak kingpin, three aides under KCOCA

CCB sleuths have booked the so-called question paper leak kingpin Shivakumaraiah alias Guruji, along with three others, under the Karnataka Control Of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA).

Investigations revealed Shivakumaraiah is still actively running the crime syndicate.

This is the second time Shivakumaraiah (67) has been booked under KCOCA. The CID had earlier invoked the same act against him after he was arrested for leaking the PU chemistry question paper in 2016.

According to the CCB, Shivakumaraiah’s close aide,
C T Basavaraj was arrested on Friday. Shivakumaraiah and Basavaraja (40) were arrested earlier and are presently lodged at the Parappana Agrahara central prison.

The fourth accused Ameer Ahmed (38) from Davanagere, a close contact of Shivakumaraiah is on the run. Efforts are on to nab him. The accused have a well-established network involving owners of tutorials and middlemen. They manage to procure the question papers from the printing press with the help of security personnel, luring them with money.

The accused would then sell the question papers to
candidates along with the answer keys a day before the exams receiving huge sums in return.

The KCOCA Act will prevent the accused from obtaining bail for at least one year, which otherwise pose a threat to competitive examinations in the state, a senior police officer said.