India News

Chhattisgarh High Court denies bail to ex-IAS officer in CGPSC paper leak case

The Chhattisgarh High Court has denied bail to retired IAS officer Jeevan Kishore Dhruv in the alleged CGPSC paper leak case, saying competitive exam paper leaks have a devastating impact on the careers of lakhs of aspirants.

Published

1 month ago

August 7, 2026

APNLive Desk

The Chhattisgarh High Court has rejected the bail plea of retired IAS officer Jeevan Kishore Dhruv, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the alleged Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) recruitment scam.

The court observed that leaking question papers of competitive examinations is “more heinous than murder” because it destroys the careers of lakhs of young aspirants and damages the integrity of the public recruitment process.

High Court cites seriousness of allegations

Justice Bibhu Datta Guru, while rejecting Dhruv’s bail application, noted that the alleged offence had a far-reaching impact on society and could not be treated as an ordinary crime.

The court observed that people involved in leaking competitive examination question papers jeopardise the future of candidates who spend years preparing for government recruitment examinations.

According to the order, the prosecution has, at the prima facie stage, collected material indicating that Dhruv, while serving as Secretary of the CGPSC during the 2020-2022 recruitment process, allegedly retained confidential question papers of the 2021 Main Examination and supplied them to his son.

The High Court also noted that the investigation pointed to the applicant’s alleged involvement through witness statements, documentary evidence and recoveries made during searches.

Considering the gravity of the allegations and their impact on the credibility of the recruitment process, the court said it was not inclined to grant bail.

Defence argues false implication

During the hearing, Dhruv’s counsel argued that the retired IAS officer had been falsely implicated only because he served as the CGPSC Secretary and was not named in the original FIR.

The defence submitted that no incriminating electronic devices or documents, apart from a mobile phone, were recovered from him. It also contended there was no evidence proving that he leaked confidential question papers or shared them with his children.

The counsel further argued that after learning both his sons were candidates in the examination, Dhruv informed the competent CGPSC authorities and requested to be relieved of all confidential work related to the recruitment process. According to the defence, official records showed he was subsequently assigned no confidential examination duties.

The defence also maintained that allegations of favouritism were weakened by the fact that one of Dhruv’s sons failed to qualify, while the other secured a rank below the top position.

CBI opposes bail

Opposing the plea, the CBI argued that the case involved large-scale irregularities that undermined public confidence in the recruitment system.

The agency alleged that Dhruv, along with the then CGPSC chairman, controller of examinations and other accused persons, entered into a criminal conspiracy to leak confidential question papers of the 2021 Main Examination, giving his son an unfair advantage.

According to the CBI, copies of questions and answers related to General Studies Paper VII and the Question-cum-Answer Booklet of the Essay paper were recovered during searches conducted at Dhruv’s residence.

The investigating agency also argued that the retired IAS officer could not claim parity with a co-accused who had received bail from the Supreme Court, as Dhruv was a senior public servant responsible for maintaining the secrecy and integrity of the examination process.

Several others also arrested

Apart from Jeevan Kishore Dhruv, those arrested in the alleged recruitment scam include former CGPSC chairman Taman Singh Sonwani, his nephews Nitesh Sonwani and Sahil Sonwani, former Deputy Controller of Examinations Lalit Ganvir, industrialist Shravan Kumar Goyal, his son Shashank Goyal, and daughter-in-law Bhumika Katiyar.

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Nandigram bypoll: Congress candidate arrested hours after Mamata’s support

Congress’s Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan has been arrested in connection with an old alleged murder case, hours after Mamata Banerjee announced support for his candidature.

Published

2 hours ago

September 18, 2026

APNLive Desk

Congress candidate Milan Pradhan has been arrested in West Bengal in connection with an old murder case, hours after Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction would support his candidature in the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll.

The arrest came on Friday, September 18, after Mamata Banerjee announced at a press conference at her Kalighat residence that her faction would back the Congress candidate in Nandigram.

Why was Milan Pradhan arrested?

According to the available report, Milan Pradhan was arrested in connection with an old alleged murder case. The report does not provide further details about the case, including the alleged incident, the sections invoked or the circumstances of the arrest.

The arrest therefore comes at a significant point in the Nandigram bypoll, with Pradhan having emerged as the Congress candidate after a series of political developments in the constituency.

Why did Mamata Banerjee support the Congress candidate?

Mamata Banerjee announced support for the Congress candidate after Sanchita Pradhan Dey, who had been fielded by her faction, withdrew from the Nandigram contest.

According to the report, Pradhan Dey withdrew her candidature after a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Mamata subsequently announced that her faction would support the Congress candidate in the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll.

The development placed Milan Pradhan at the centre of the latest political developments surrounding the Nandigram election.

Nandigram bypoll scheduled for October 6

The Nandigram Assembly bypoll is scheduled for October 6. The constituency has drawn attention ahead of the election following changes involving candidates and the political support announced by Mamata Banerjee’s faction.

With Milan Pradhan’s arrest now reported, the Congress candidate’s legal case is likely to become another important development in the run-up to the bypoll.

India News

Mamata Banerjee’s Nandigram candidate withdraws from bypoll

Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew from the Nandigram bypoll after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, with Mamata Banerjee later announcing support for Congress.

Published

2 hours ago

September 18, 2026

APNLive Desk

Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate fielded by Mamata Banerjee’s faction of the Trinamool Congress for the Nandigram Assembly bypoll, has withdrawn from the contest.

The development came a day after the Election Commission announced that the rival Trinamool factions would not be allowed to use the party’s existing name and symbol for the upcoming bypolls. The poll panel later allotted new names and symbols to the two factions.

Dey had been announced as the Mamata faction’s Nandigram candidate on Sunday. She is a teacher in Nandigram who had lost her job following the cancellation of the appointments of 26,000 teachers in connection with an alleged recruitment scam.

Sanchita Pradhan Dey met Suvendu Adhikari

According to sources, Dey met West Bengal Chief Minister and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday. A photograph of the meeting also emerged.

Her withdrawal was announced on Friday afternoon as Mamata Banerjee was addressing a press conference over the Election Commission’s decision concerning the Trinamool factions.

With Dey no longer in the contest, Banerjee announced that her faction would support the Congress candidate in the Nandigram bypoll.

Banerjee said the decision had been taken within her party and that she had spoken with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while noting that the Congress had not been informed about the decision at that point.

New names and symbols for Trinamool factions

The Election Commission has allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the Football Player symbol to the faction led by Mamata Banerjee.

The rival faction led by Arup Roy has been allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the Envelope symbol.

The Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls are scheduled for October 6, with counting set for October 9.

India News

BJP convoy attacked in Punjab ahead of anti-drug campaign launch

BJP leader and former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu alleged that his convoy was attacked near the Batala-Gurdaspur highway in Punjab while he was travelling to Pathankot for a BJP anti-drug event.

Published

2 hours ago

September 18, 2026

APNLive Desk

BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu has alleged that his convoy was attacked in Punjab while he was travelling towards Pathankot to attend a party event.

According to Bittu, the incident took place near the Batala-Gurdaspur highway, where a group of people allegedly threw eggs, tomatoes and other objects at his convoy.

The incident occurred as Bittu was travelling to Pathankot for an anti-drug campaign being launched by BJP president Nitin Nabin.

What happened to Ravneet Bittu’s convoy?

Bittu’s convoy, comprising around eight to nine vehicles, came under attack near the Batala-Gurdaspur highway, according to his account.

He alleged that protesters threw eggs, tomatoes and other objects at the vehicles. Bittu further claimed that the windows of two escort vehicles were broken and that a jammer vehicle was also damaged.

The protesters also reportedly blocked the road, making it difficult for the convoy to continue towards Pathankot.

The incident took place near an area where the ‘Babe da viyah’ festival was being celebrated.

Three protesters reportedly caught

Bittu’s office said his security team caught three people who were allegedly involved in the incident.

His office further alleged that the three were linked to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). However, the allegation was denied by the AAP.

AAP leader Joban Randhawa said the party’s workers were protesting peacefully and alleged that Bittu’s supporters had targeted them.

The competing claims have not been independently established in the report.

What did Ravneet Singh Bittu say?

Bittu said he had informed the Union Home Ministry about the incident. He also held Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the state’s Director General of Police responsible for his safety in the event of any harm to him or people associated with him.

His office called for an investigation into the incident and raised concerns about the safety of political leaders and workers.

Why was Bittu travelling to Pathankot?

Ravneet Singh Bittu was travelling to Pathankot to attend the BJP’s anti-drug campaign event. BJP president Nitin Nabin was scheduled to launch the campaign in Pathankot.

The incident occurred amid preparations for the BJP’s political activities in Punjab ahead of the state’s next Assembly election.

Who is Ravneet Singh Bittu?

Ravneet Singh Bittu is a BJP leader and former Union minister. He served as Minister of State for Railways and Minister of State for Food Processing Industries before resigning from the Union Council of Ministers in July 2026.

His tenure as a Rajya Sabha MP had ended in June 2026.