BSSC chairman Sudhir Kumar arrested in paper leak scam

Patna, Feb 24 (PTI) Bihar Staff Selection Commission chairman and senior IAS officer Sudhir Kumar was today arrested by a Special Investigation Team in connection with the paper leak scam in clerical-grade recruitment examination.

“SIT has arrested BSSC chairman Sudhir Kumar and four others, including his close kins, in connection with the paper leak matter,” Patna Zonal Inspector General of Police (IGP) N H Khan told PTI.

“The SIT has arrested Kumar on the basis of concrete evidence of his role in the entire matter of paper leak,” Khan added.

Kumar has been arrested from Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand, a senior police source said, adding of the four others arrested along with Kumar, two are his nephews.

Meanwhile, the IAS association is holding a meeting here to protest against Kumar’s arrest.

Notably, Bihar government had on February 8 last cancelled the BSSC examination held to fill up the posts of clerks in state government jobs in the wake of paper leak.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced the cancellation of BSSC examination on the basis of preliminary report of state police chief P K Thakur and recommendation of Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh.

The cancellation had come in the wake of reports of paper leak before the examination on February 5. Leaked paper of BSSC examination for clerk jobs became online before start of the examination on February 5.

Earlier, SIT headed by Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj had arrested Commission Secretary Parmeshwar Ram and one other staff of the Commission in the case.

Ram’s arrest came after intensive questioning by the SIT after taking him into custody on February 8.

The latest examination irregularities in the BSSC follows the infamous toppers’ scam in the state plus two exam in 2016.

Media reports suggested huge amounts ranging from Rs 2-5 lakh was collected from candidates for the BSSC exam for clerical grade job.