Hazaribagh, Feb. 24: Senior IAS officer and chairman of Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) Sudhir Kumar has been arrested in connection with the leak of question papers of recruitment examinations held in Patna earlier this month.

There is conflicting information on where and when he was arrested though. While Patna SSP Manu Maharaj said the arrest happened in Patna this morning, Hazaribagh sources claim he was rounded up from his Matwari Mohalla home in the town last night.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed by the Bihar government to probe irregularities into two consecutive phases of the examinations, also took into custody four relatives of the 1987-batch IAS officer - his brother professor Awadhesh Kumar, his wife, daughter-in-law and a nephew - for their alleged role in facilitating the leak. They were taken to Patna today.

Sudhir Kumar, who was interrogated at least thrice by the SIT before, had said he had no role in the leak of questions on WhatsApp. He had, however, told reporters that the BSSC had been facing pressure from top politicians, including ministers, to help certain candidates clear the examinations for recruitment to clerical posts in the Bihar government.

At his Matwari Mohalla home, father Radhe Mohan Prasad - who retired from the post of joint secretary in 1990 in then unified Bihar - said his son was being made a scapegoat. "My boy was home on leave (since February 21) and was supposed to return to work (in Patna) on Monday. But, he cut short his visit and decided to leave last night. He had asked his (official car) driver to come and fetch him," Prasad said.

Korrah thana outpost officer Pankaj Kumar said the SIT team followed the SUV to Sudhir Kumar's home and arrested him around 11pm.

"My son has nothing to do with any question paper leak case. Meri parwarish itni kharab nahi ho sakti. Usse fasaya ja raha hai (I raised my son well. He is being made a scapegoat)," father Prasad added.

Sources in Patna police said the SIT probe had found "conclusive evidence" against the IAS officer and his relatives. His nephew and daughter-in-law had appeared for one of the examinations. In order to help them crack the exam, Sudhir Kumar allegedly facilitated the question paper leak, the sources added.

The latest development brings the total number of arrests made in the case to 33. Question papers of the four-phase examinations conducted by BSSC were leaked on WhatsApp on January 29 and February 5.