Patna: The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) has arrested Dr Manish Kumar, an alleged accused in the BPSC TRE-3 (Teacher Recruitment Examination) paper leak case, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 296.A resident of Nehalpur village in Jehanabad district, Dr Manish was arrested on Monday, in connection with Economic Offences police station case, registered on March 16, 2024. The case has been lodged under Sections 420, 467, 468, 120(B) and 34 of the IPC, Section 66 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and Sections 3 and 10 of the Bihar Examination Conducting Act, 1981.According to the EOU officials, the investigation revealed that Dr Manish was associated with the gang allegedly involved in leaking the question paper of TRE-3 conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission. Investigators said he was acquainted with Dr Shiv, the son of alleged paper leak mafia and the gang leader Sanjeev Kumar alias Sanjeev Mukhiya alias Lutan, and was part of the conspiracy to facilitate the recruitment of candidates through the leaked paper.The EOU alleged that Dr Manish was promised Rs50,000 for each candidate he brought into the network. As part of the alleged conspiracy, two to three days before the examination held on March 15, 2024, he arranged a vehicle from Patna and transported around 30 candidates to a hotel in Hazaribagh (Jharkhand), where they were allegedly given access to the leaked question paper before returning to Patna for the examination. After dropping the candidates at the hotel, he returned to Patna.DIG Manavjit Singh Dhillon said investigators initially had only the name “Dr Manish” from documents recovered during raids at a hideout allegedly used by Mukhiya and his son Dr Shiv on Patna’s 90-Feet Road. “The documents contained the names of candidates and the persons who had arranged them. We only had the name ‘Dr Manish’ and no further identity,” he said.Dhillon told TOI that the EOU then carried out extensive technical analysis and collected admission records of doctors named Manish who had studied at NMCH and PMCH between 2015 and 2021. “After analysing their mobile numbers and tower locations, we identified one Dr Manish who was in continuous contact with Dr Shiv and other accused. His location also matched Hazaribagh during the relevant period,” the DIG said.He added that investigators later verified his identity by showing his photograph to accused persons who were taken on remand. “Once his identity was confirmed, he was called for questioning at the EOU office on Monday. During interrogation, he admitted his role, following which he was arrested,” Dhillon said.Officials said Dr Manish completed his MBBS from NMCH in 2021 and he was batch mate of Dr Shiv. He later served as a govt doctor in Kaimur district before resigning from service and is currently preparing for postgraduate medical studies by staying in a lodge near NMCH.The EOU said the investigation is continuing to identify the roles of other individuals connected to the alleged paper leak racket.
