ED attaches 5 properties worth ₹2.01 crore in Bihar Constable 2023 paper leak case
Synopsis
The ED has traced ₹2.01 crore in alleged proceeds of crime through a web of shell companies back to a single beneficial owner — Kaushik Kumar Kar — who reportedly used a proxy firm with no printing experience to win a government contract, then leaked the question papers en route. The Bihar Constable 2023 exam cancellation affected thousands of aspirants, and this attachment marks the first major financial action in the case.
Key Takeaways
The ED's Patna Zonal Office provisionally attached five immovable properties worth ₹2.01 crore under the PMLA, 2002 on 30 October 2025 .
Kaushik Kumar Kar , beneficial owner of blacklisted firm Blessings Secured Press Pvt Ltd , allegedly used proxy company Caltex Multiventures Pvt Ltd to secure the question paper printing contract.
The Bihar Police Constable Recruitment Exam, 2023 was cancelled after papers were leaked in transit from Kolkata to Patna .
Caltex Multiventures received an advance of ₹5.9 crore ; ₹2.01 crore was allegedly diverted through Kolkata-based shell companies and converted into cash.
The attached properties are held in the name of NC Print Pvt Ltd , another company allegedly controlled by Kar.
The case originated from an FIR by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU), Patna ; charge sheet was filed on 22 August 2024 .
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on 30 October 2025 provisionally attached five immovable properties valued at ₹2.01 crore in connection with the Bihar Police Constable Recruitment Examination, 2023 paper leak case, the agency confirmed in an official statement. The attachment was executed by the ED's Patna Zonal Office under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
Background and FIR
The ED's investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU), Patna, covering offences under Sections 120B, 420, 467, and 468 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, and Section 66 of the IT Act, 2000. The FIR targeted various Telegram URLs, mobile numbers, and bank accounts linked to the leak of the question paper for the Bihar Constable Recruitment Exam, 2023.
The Conspiracy: Proxy Firm and a Blacklisted Press
According to a charge sheet filed by the EOU on 22 August 2024, Kaushik Kumar Kar, the beneficial owner of Blessings Secured Press Pvt Ltd, allegedly orchestrated a conspiracy to obtain the contract for printing the question papers through a proxy company, Caltex Multiventures Pvt Ltd. The Central Selection Board of Constable, Bihar, awarded the contract to Caltex despite the firm having no prior printing experience and no printing press of its own.
The arrangement was designed to conceal the role of Blessings Secured Press, which had already been blacklisted for its alleged involvement in previous examination paper leak cases. The ED further found that Kar placed associates as dummy directors in Caltex Multiventures to circumvent restrictions arising from that blacklisting.
How the Leak Occurred
The question papers were transported from Kolkata to Patna and were allegedly leaked en route to exam centres, reportedly in connivance with other accused persons. The leak forced the cancellation of the examination, causing a financial loss to the Bihar Government and severely disrupting the career prospects of thousands of exam aspirants across the state.
Money Trail and Shell Companies
The ED found that Caltex Multiventures received an advance of ₹5.9 crore under the contract and remitted only a portion to Blessings Secured Press. An amount of ₹2.01 crore was allegedly diverted through a complex network of Kolkata-based shell companies and entities lacking genuine business operations, layered through bogus transactions to obscure its origin before being converted into cash, effectively ending the money trail.
Since the proceeds of crime could not be traced further, the ED provisionally attached five immovable properties worth ₹2.01 crore held in the name of NC Print Pvt Ltd — another company the agency says is controlled and beneficially owned by Kaushik Kumar Kar — as value equivalent to the proceeds of crime identified so far.
What Happens Next
The provisional attachment will be adjudicated before the Adjudicating Authority under PMLA. The case is part of a wider pattern of exam paper leak investigations in which the ED has pursued money laundering angles beyond the original criminal FIRs. Authorities have not yet disclosed whether further arrests or additional attachments are planned in this case.
Point of View
NC Print, underscores how proceeds are deliberately parked at multiple removes from the original crime. What this case also reveals is a systemic gap in the Central Selection Board of Constable's vendor vetting — a firm with no printing press and no experience passed its due-diligence filters. Until procurement frameworks are reformed to cross-check beneficial ownership against blacklist registers, prosecutions and attachments will remain a cure applied after the damage is done.
NationPress
30 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the ED attach in the Bihar Constable 2023 paper leak case?
The ED provisionally attached five immovable properties worth ₹2.01 crore under the PMLA, 2002, on 30 October 2025. These properties are registered in the name of NC Print Pvt Ltd, a company the agency says is controlled by Kaushik Kumar Kar, the alleged mastermind of the paper leak.
Who is Kaushik Kumar Kar and what is his alleged role?
Kaushik Kumar Kar is the beneficial owner of Blessings Secured Press Pvt Ltd, a firm blacklisted for involvement in earlier exam paper leaks. He allegedly created Caltex Multiventures Pvt Ltd with dummy directors to win the Bihar Police Constable Exam 2023 printing contract and then outsourced the work to his blacklisted firm.
How was the Bihar Constable Exam 2023 question paper leaked?
According to the ED, the question papers were transported from Kolkata to Patna and were allegedly leaked en route to exam centres, reportedly in connivance with other accused persons. The leak caused the exam to be cancelled, affecting thousands of aspirants.
How was the money laundered in this case?
Caltex Multiventures received an advance of ₹5.9 crore from the Bihar government contract. Of this, ₹2.01 crore was allegedly diverted through a network of Kolkata-based shell companies via bogus transactions and eventually converted into cash, breaking the money trail.
What happens after a provisional PMLA attachment?
A provisional attachment under the PMLA must be confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority, which holds hearings before deciding whether to uphold or revoke the attachment. If upheld, the properties can ultimately be confiscated by the government after conviction.
