Bihar Staff Selection Commission chairman and senior IAS officer Sudhir Kumar was arrested in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh on Friday in connection with the BSSC examination paper leak scam. Besides Kumar, his brother Professor Avadhesh Kumar, sister-in-law Manju Devi, nephew Ashish Kumar and one Sajjad Ahmed were also arrested, reported Hindustan Times.

Patna Zonal Inspector General of Police (IGP) NH Khan said there was concrete evidence of Kumar’s role in the paper leak scam. Kumar was brought to Patna from Hazaribagh for interrogation. “We had procured arrest warrants for arrest of the chairman from the court before proceeding for Hazaribagh,” Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaja told HT.

The IAS Officers’ Association in a press release condemned Kumar’s arrest and demanded a CBI inquiry into the scam. Kumar’s arrest was “completely unwarranted”, the association said, adding that he was an “honest and sincere officer” cooperating in the investigation. Association members met state Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh regarding the matter on Friday and also said it would bear all expenses on Kumar’s behalf.

Nearly 30 people were arrested by the special investigation team earlier, including commission secretary Parmeshwar Ram and a computer operator. Kumar had served as the home secretary when Jitan Ram Manjhi was Bihar’s chief minister.

The first phase of the examinations for the appointment of clerks in the state government’s Secretariat was conducted on February 5. The questions were leaked on WhatsApp as soon as the exams began at 11 am on that day, The Indian Express reported. The exam was later cancelled by the Bihar government.