Nagpur (PTI): A private tuition owner and his aide were arrested in connection with the suspected leak of Physics and Chemistry question papers of class 12 exams being conducted by the Maharashtra board in Nagpur, police said on Monday.

With the arrest of Mustafa Khan Munir Khan (42), who runs a teaching academy in the Mominpura area, and his aide Junaid Mohammad Abdul Javed, the number of people held so far has reached four.

Khan and Javed were remanded to police custody till February 26.

According to police, Khan allegedly shared the Chemistry paper on a WhatsApp group named "Tech 1", and Javed posted the answers. One Nishikant Mool had circulated the leaked content among students of his tuition classes.

The incident came to light on February 18 when a supervisor at St. Ursula High School examination centre spotted the paper on a student's phone.

Police said technical surveillance helped trace the accused. However, the original source of the leak remains unknown and further investigation is underway.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday expressed confidence that the ruling Congress will secure a decisive victory in the Assembly bypolls scheduled for April 9 in the Bagalkote and Davanagere South constituencies, citing a favourable ground response to the party’s guarantee schemes.

These are ‘Shakti’, ‘Gruha Lakshmi’, ‘Gruha Jyoti’, ‘Yuva Nidhi’ and ‘Anna Bhagya’.

The bypolls were necessitated by the demise of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, who represented Davanagere South and Bagalkote constituencies, respectively.

The Congress has fielded Shivashankarappa’s grandson, Samarth Shamanur, in Davanagere South and Umesh Meti in Bagalkote. They are locked in direct contests with BJP candidates T Dasakariyappa and Veerabhadrayya Charantimath.

“Both Bagalkote and Davanagere are very positive. Congress workers are doing an excellent job, going door to door and convincing people about the guarantee schemes,” Shivakumar told reporters here.

He said even voters who had earlier supported the BJP were now inclined towards the Congress.

“Even those who voted for the BJP earlier are saying they will vote for Congress. People want the guarantees to continue and are expressing difficulties due to rising prices,” he said.

Expressing confidence of an improved electoral performance, he added, “There is a strong sense that we will win with a bigger margin than before.”

Shivakumar also said he would travel to Kerala for two days and resume campaigning thereafter. “I am going to Kerala for two days. After returning, we will continue the campaign from Davanagere,” he said.

Referring to the shortage of LPG, including auto LPG, in the state, Shivakumar blamed the BJP-led government and called for immediate intervention by the Centre.

“The LPG shortage is due to the BJP. Auto drivers and those in the transport sector are facing difficulties,” he claimed.

“This is something the central government has to address. It must formulate proper policies and take precautionary measures,” he said, adding that the BJP should apologise to the public.

“They should come forward and apologise to the people for the inconvenience caused and resolve the issues they have created,” he said.