New Delhi, May 4 (PTI): In a joint operation, Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force and CBI today arrested from Kanpur one of the prime accused in the Vyapam scam Ramesh Shivhare, who had been absconding for the last three years.
"We have arrested Shivhare this morning. He is wanted by CBI in several cases in the Vyapam scam," Uttar Pradesh DGP Javeed Ahmed told PTI over phone.
CBI sources said here that Shivhare is wanted in five cases probed by it which are related to alleged irregularities in the conduct of Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board also known as Vyapam.
They said Shivhare was absconding for the last three years and carried a reward of Rs 10,000.
A native of Uttar Pradesh, Shivhare's wife was a local body member in Mahoba.
They said Shivhare was one of the kingpins of the scam and was nabbed in a joint operation by UPSTF and CBI from Avas Vikas colony in Kalyanpur area of Kanpur.
He will be produced before a competent court today after which he will be taken to Bhopal, they said.
Shivhare allegedly acted as a middleman and arranged for impostors and dummy candidates to appear in the examination carried out by Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board for a certain amount.
A resident of Uttar Pradesh, Shivhare has been evading questioning by authorities probing the case. His application for anticipatory bail was also turned down by the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2014.
"There is material to indicate the involvement of applicant in the commission of the crime, for which reason, the Investigating Officer has been insisting for attendance of the applicant for quite some time but in vain," a bench of Chief Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice Alok Aradhe had said.