Thakur apparently died after learning about the scam bust through television news channels.
The anti-corruption unit of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigating the alleged defence recruitment racket faced a setback after the managing director of a Pune-based printing press, VS Thakur, who was called for questioning in the case, died of heart-attack.
Thakur apparently died after learning about the scam bust through television news channels.
The CBI on Sunday had busted the racket and arrested four persons who allegedly leaked the question papers of the Indian Navy’s lower division clerk (LDC) recruitment exam. The scam was busted when the investigating agency raided a lodge in South Mumbai where they found copies of the question paper along with their answer keys.
The four arrested accused have been identified as R Naik, administrative officer (AO) with Western Naval Dockyard, S Murthy, an AO of Eastern Naval Dockyard, Ranbir Singh Rawat, a former sailor running Manasa International Defence Recruitment Agency in Vishakapatnam, and Hoshiyar Singh, a Haryana-based teacher.
The accused were charged with leaking the papers to over 138 candidates in return for amounts anywhere between Rs15,000 and Rs50,000. According to sources, the question papers were printed at Atharva Consultancy and Allied Services, Pune.
Officials from Pune CBI branch landed up at Thakur’s office on Sunday evening. They called up Thakur and asked him to come to his office. However, he had no idea why he was called, nor did the CBI men tell him the reason. But he learnt about the arrests on television just before leaving his home.
“Thakur sustained a stroke on his way to the office and had to be rushed to the hospital,” said Pravin Salunke, DIG (ACB), CBI. Thakur was later declared dead by the hospital.
The CBI had seized Rs19 lakh in cash, several question papers and 50 passports from Rawat’s office. A search at the residence of Naik in Navi Mumbai revealed documents regarding purchase of a flat for Rs31 lakh.
Thakur’s questioning, sources feel, would have thrown more light on the case.
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