The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) paper leak arrested the owner of a printing press from Ahmedabad on Thursday.

The SIT had gone to Ahmedabad on specific inputs that the BSSC questions paper was leaked from the printing press there.

Police sources said the owner is being brought to Patna on transit remand.

However, senior police officials refused to share details in this connection. A senior police officer investigating the case said on condition of anonymity: "The police have arrested a person, Vineet, who is the owner of the printing press in Ahmedabad. The police have brought Vineet on transit remand for interrogation."

The arrest of the printing press owner is likely to provide the SIT important leads in the scam, as the police have been claiming that the question paper was leaked from the printing press.

Sources said as per the state government gazette, it is only the chairman who knows where the question papers are printed and if the role of the printing press owner in the scam is established, many more senior officials will come under the SIT radar.

Sources said this was not the first time the role of a printing press has surfaced in an examination scam.

The role of a Gujarat-based printing press had figured during last year's Intermediate merit scam probe too.

The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) had officially awarded the answer sheet printing contact to a Mathura-based firm.

But later, BSEB storekeeper Vikas Kumar, forged documents and gave the tender to a Gujarat-based bidder.

Vikash had told investigators that he got the answer sheets from the Gujarat-based company.

The Rs 8.5 crore payment was never made to the company. Vikas allegedly siphoned off the sum.

The company filed a case of cheating against Vikas, who was considered close to the then state board secretary Hariharnath Jha.

The SIT probing the case in this connection has, till date, arrested 19 persons.

"The arrest of Vineet is a big catch for us as it will give vital information in the case and lead to many more arrests in the days to come," the senior police officer said.

Police sources said the role of a minister in the Nitish Kumar government has come under the scanner of the police in connection with the leak of question papers of the clerical grade examination conducted by the BSSC.

Sources said the minister was in touch with some racketeers hailing from Nalanda and Nawada districts.

The alleged mastermind of the examination scam, Sanjiv Kumar, a resident of Noorsarai in Nalanda district, had close ties with the minister.

Sources said the arrest of Vineet is a big catch for the police after the arrest of BSSC secretary Parmeshwar Ram.

The arrest assumes significance in the wake of the statement of the commission's suspended secretary Parmeshwar.

Ram had told interrogators: "If you have the courage, catch the real culprits responsible for the leak of the question papers. Many bigwigs are involved in the racket."

However, former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi jumped to the defence of the BSSC secretary on Thursday claiming that the BSSC is just a small fish as many big fish are involved in the scam.

Manjhi said: "The commission had apprehensions about the question paper leak and in this connection the commission had on January 31 written to the home department, urging the department to put a ban on Internet services at all district headquarters."

He added: "In reply to BSSC's letter, the home department wrote back saying Internet services in the entire state cannot be banned just on the apprehension that question papers could be leaked through WhatsApp." The former chief minister demanded a detailed probe in the case.