This story is from February 5, 2019

Guard who worked at Manipal press stole question papers for Rs 17 lakh: Cops

Guard who worked at Manipal press stole question papers for Rs 17 lakh: Cops
IN THE DOCK: (From left) Anil Francis, CT Basavaraj, Shivakumaraiah alias Guruji and Ameer Ahmed. Police have taken 150 persons into custody
BENGALURU: Solving the mystery behind the recent spate of question paper leaks in various government job recruitment exams, Central Crime Branch sleuths on Monday said the papers were stolen from Manipal Technologies Unit I Printing Press in Udupi district by a security guard who quit later in October 2018.
Anil Francis, who is currently employed with a private company in Sharjah, UAE, was arrested soon after landing at Kempegowda International Airport on Monday, said additional commissioner of police (crime) Alok Kumar.
Francis stole the question papers after entering the room in August 2018, he added.
In November last year, the question paper of a constabulary recruitment exam leaked. Cops found the fraudsters were involved in the leakage of BMTC job recruitment exam held in July 2018 too. There were widespread rumours that the paper of the sub-inspector held in January this year too had leaked, but police denied it.
In all, police have arrested as many as 150 accused, including 125 candidates in the case. The arrested include main accused Shivakumaraiah alias Guruji, CT Basavaraju and Ameer Ahmed.
On November 24 last year, a CCB team led by DCP S Girish had raided an education centre at Somwarpet in Kodagu district and arrested 125 candidates of civil police constable exams and Shivakumaraiah. Since then, the CCB arrested 25 more people, including government employees like police constables and first division clerks. However, the investigation has reached its logical end with the arrest of Anil Francis.
“Ameer Ahmed is an old offender in dealing with question papers. Knowing that Francis is a security guard with the press, Ahmed befriended him with the help of a woman and encouraged him to steal the papers. Francis stole question papers of BMTC conductor exam and civil police constable exam. Meeting him near the mortuary of KMC hospital in Manipal, Ahmed purchased the question paper for Rs 17 lakh,” Alok Kumar said.

Later, Ahmed sold the papers to CT Basavaraju near Bellave Cross in Tumakuru district. “The question papers were sold for Rs 55 lakh. From Basavaraju’s hand, question papers reached Shivakumaraiah and to the candidates,” Kumar said.
Shivakumaraiah, who was arrested in 2017 for masterminding the II PUC question paper leakage, had got in touch with Ahmed through Basavaraju.
A ‘half-boiled’ movie-maker
Ameer Ahmed had produced a Kannada movie, ‘Half boil’, featuring a Davanagere man and woman in the lead roles.
“The movie was shot between August and November 2018 and Ahmed had invested Rs 25 lakh in it. According to plans, the movie was to be released in the first week of February. However, everything went haywire after we arrested Shivakumaraiah and others on November 24,” Alok Kumar said.
A matriculate, Ahmed is also from Davanagere.
Gujarat cops too visited Manipal press
The recruitment examination to the post of Lok Rakshak Dal (constable rank) in Gujarat was cancelled after its question paper was leaked in the first week of January this year. Special teams under the supervision of Gujarat director general of police (DGP) Shivanand Jha had arrested three persons, including two from Bidar in Karnataka, on charges of stealing the question paper from Manipal press.
According to sources in Gujarat police, the CCTV footage collected from Manipal press showed two men scaling the compound wall of the unit on the night of November 20 and entering the room where the printed question papers were kept only to return after 30 minutes.
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