CID arrests fugitive kinpin in II-year PU question paper leak

BENGALURU: The CID has apprehended the alleged kingpin in the PU chemistry question paper leak, Shivakumaraiah. CID DGP Kishore Chandra said the 66-year-old fugitive was arrested from a building under construction near Garebavipalya in Bengaluru south. He was apparently in an inebriated state and had Rs 50,000 on him.

Chandra said the suspect had a foolproof modus operandi: Shivakumaraiah, he revealed, always used mobile phones of those who approached him for question papers and he always had a code word 'tomato' for the papers.

The issue of examination question papers getting leaked took a serious turn after 1.75 lakh students, who wrote the March 21 II-year PUC exam, were told to take a re-exam following a leak. The March 31 re-exam was further postponed, when the paper leaked the second time as well. Shivakumaraiah is suspected in both the leaks and many more in the past.

Following mass protests by students and their parents, the government ordered a probe by the CID.

Police believe selling question papers was Shivakumaraiah's "full-time job". He was already facing six cases, four in Bengaluru and two in Tumakuru. Two of them have reached court. Shivakumaraiah's son Dinesh and relative Kiran are currently absconding.

He was booked under the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act.