Dabbing a dash of vermillion on his forehead, you could find him in gowns of white and saffron, while at the same time, you wouldn’t be surprised to spot him veering off in an SUV, selling leaked question papers like hot-cakes, using code words like ‘tomato’.
Meet Shivakumaraiah Channappa, alias Swamy alias Guruji, who was recently arrested in the PU Chemistry paper leak scandal, and is alleged to be the kingpin in the scam which led thousands of students down the path of misery. A multi-layered personality, he was a modern-day, middle-aged Casanova, courting women and cutting deals in late-night parties.
Hailing from a remote village in the Tumakuru district, some reports tag him a Drama teacher from Gubbi, while some claim the 66-year-old struggled in an Educational department profession. However he is known unanimously for his acts of debauchery, which police believe is his “full-time” job.
Having already faced six cases in the past, four in Bengaluru and two in Tumakuru, Shivakumaraiah has been booked under the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act. Political leverage has helped him get out of certain detentions, reports say. But the chemistry paper leak, part of the II year PUC exam on March 21, gained high-profile attention, with the re-exam that was scheduled for later that month, cancelled due to the leak once again.
With his name popping up for almost all such paper leak cases, he is also known to have helped students grab seats in prominent engineering and medical colleges in Tumakuru and Bengaluru. Interestingly enough, the paper leak top-dog, functions with a detailed plan of action. Using his 32 girlfriends for distributing question papers, Shivakumaraiah would always use their mobile phones, hiding behind their cover. Identifying middle-aged women, going through bouts of financial crisis, he would befriend them, often showering them with gifts, gaining their loyalty. CID sources recently claimed that he had gifted phones to the 32 girlfriends of his for running the racket.
Ironically however, the kingpin’s chase was put to an end, with the police tracking him through his phone call to one of his girlfriends near Mysore Road. He was found amidst a building under construction, in an intoxicated state, with Rs 50,000 on him.
“He is trying to hoodwink us, and by giving distorted statements, he is trying to kill time,” said a police officer who interrogated Shivakumaraiah, to The Hindu. With him, now reportedly pointing fingers at his nephew, Kiran, tagging him as the kingpin instead, the 66 year old, continues to spin tales.