Patna, Feb 24 (IANS): The Bihar government on Friday sacked tainted Block Development Officer Jaywardhan Gupta, who was also involved in question paper leak of 67th BPSC preliminary examination, on the charge of taking bribes.

The decision was taken during the cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Gupta, who was posted in Ghoswari block of Bhojpur district as BDO, was nabbed by a team of Economic Offences Unit (EOU) for taking a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from Dinesh Gop in 2017. Following his arrest, the Home Department removed him from the post of the BDO. However, he managed to regain his post after a few months and was posted in the Barhara block.

His name again came up in the preliminary examination of 67th BPSC held on May 9, 2022, when he was deployed as a static officer at Veer Kunwar Singh College in Arrah. The question paper was leaked at that time and EOU arrested four persons including Gupta. The other accused are identified as Dr Yogendra Prasad Singh, Principal-cum- Centre Superintendent, Sushil Kumar Singh, Professor-cum-Examination Cxontroller, and Agam Kumar Sahay, Professor-cum-Assistant Centre Superintendent of the college.

The cabinet has decided to sack him from his service on the basis of an investigation report filed by EOU, finding him guilty of taking a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from Dinesh Gop in 2017.