ED Seizes Assets Worth ₹2.01 Crore in Bihar Constable Recruitment Exam Paper Leak Case

Patna, October 30 (Daily Kiran) : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken significant action in connection with the Bihar Constable Recruitment Exam paper leak case, temporarily seizing five properties valued at ₹2.01 crore. This move follows an investigation initiated based on an FIR lodged by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) in Patna.

According to an official statement from the ED, the FIR was filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act. It implicated several Telegram URLs, mobile numbers, and bank accounts in the leak of the exam paper for the 2023 recruitment.

The charge sheet, filed on August 22, 2024, revealed that Kaushik Kumar Kar, the owner of Blessings Secured Press Private Limited, orchestrated a scheme to print the exam papers through his other company, Caltex Multi Ventures Private Limited. Despite lacking any prior printing experience or facilities, Caltex was awarded the contract by the Central Selection Board of Constables, Bihar. This arrangement was designed to obscure Blessings Secured Press’s involvement, as it had previously been blacklisted for its role in earlier exam paper leaks.

The exam papers were reportedly being transported from Kolkata to Patna when they were leaked in collaboration with other accused individuals. This breach forced the government to cancel the examination, causing financial losses and adversely affecting the candidates’ careers.

The investigation uncovered that Kaushik Kumar Kar created Caltex Multi Ventures to circumvent restrictions imposed on Blessings Secured Press due to its involvement in past scandals. Caltex received an advance payment of ₹5.9 crore for the printing contract, but only a portion was forwarded to Blessings Secured Press. The remaining ₹2.01 crore was funneled through various fictitious companies that subsequently vanished.

The ED’s investigation revealed a complex network of shell companies in Kolkata, which were used to conceal the proceeds of these criminal activities. The funds were laundered through fake transactions, ultimately leading to their conversion into cash, erasing any trace of their origin.

As a result, five properties worth ₹2.01 crore, registered under the name M/s NC Print Private Limited, which is also under Kar’s control, have been provisionally seized. The ED continues to investigate the case, aiming to uncover additional amounts obtained from these crimes and the involvement of other accused parties or companies in the money laundering scheme.