Bengaluru : A day after cracking down on the leak of the question paper for an exam for recruitment of First Division Assistant (FDA), the CCB police intensified the investigation and nabbed 14 persons including main accused. The leak dealt jolt to 3 lakh candidates who were to appear for the exam on Sunday.

The main accused has been identified as Ramesh alias Ramappa Herakal, a second division assistant (SDA) with the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC). He was taken into custody in Jamkhandi in Bagalkot. Ramesh was working with the confidential wing of KPSC. The Bagalkot police arrested him on Saturday night and handed him over to the CCB.

Joint Commissioner, CCB, Sandeep Patil said Ramesh has been taken into custody on suspicion of his role in the leakage of the question paper.

Sources said Ramesh is accused of photocopying the question paper and selling it to five candidates in Bengaluru for Rs 24 lakh. “He had gone to his home in Chikkapadasalagi (a village in Jamkhandi taluk) and was preparing to sell the question papers to some candidates for Rs 12 lakh each. He was nabbed before he could sell the papers,” a source said.

G S Chandu, another accused, and his associates are said to have bought the question paper from Ramesh to sell it to larger number of candidates.

The CCB police had raided the house of G S Chandru, an inspector in the Commercial Tax department on Saturday and arrested six persons. Based on their statements, police intensified the investigation and arrested eight persons on Sunday. A sum of Rs 35 lakh in cash and four vehicles were seized from the accused.

Candidates from Bengaluru, Doddaballapura, Belagavi, Shivamogga and Tumakuru had bought the leaked paper by agreeing to pay Rs 10 lakh. “They had paid advance amount and promised to pay the full amount after the exam. Chandru employed known people as mediators to sell the paper. We have got statements from the candidates,” the source said.

Sources said Chandru used to bring candidates to his apartment in Ullal’s (Jnanabharati) Upkar Layout to prepare them for the exam. As he feared that the candidates may further circulate the image of the question paper, he banned them from using mobile phones in the apartment.

Rachappa, another arrested, was appointed as an SDA in last year’s competitive exam. A resident of Belagavi, he wanted to be an FDA and joined hands with Chandru.