Patna: A Delhi-based tutor was held on Thursday on the charge of instigating aspirants who tried to "storm into" the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) office in Patna, demanding cancellation of its December 13 examination, an official said.

Patna's District Magistrate (DM) Chandrasekhar Singh told PTI that preliminary investigations into Wednesday's protests found that one Rohit, a tutor, mobilised and instigated the aspirants.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra said, "Initial investigations have revealed that Rohit had come from Delhi and brought along a number of persons, including girls, posing as disgruntled BPSC aspirants. He is being examined by the investigators."

The source of their funding is also being investigated as they seem to be part of a larger conspiracy, he said.

"We are probing the larger conspiracy behind yesterday's incident. What is the source of funding for those who came from outside the state to instigate BPSC aspirants is also the focus of our probe. Rohit seems to be the mastermind of yesterday's protest. Patna Police will send a preliminary report to the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) to investigate their source of funding," he told PTI.

Alleging irregularities in the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE), aspirants demonstrated outside the BPSC office and sought re-examination. The police baton-charged the aspirants to bring the situation under control.

The protesters claimed they were treated "like terrorists" and many of them were injured in the police action, a charge which was denied by the authorities.

Popular vlogger Motiur Rahman Khan, known as Guru Rahman, also joined the protests at Gardani Bagh.

"Police action against BPSC aspirants was highly condemnable. Protesting BPSC aspirants should not have been treated like this. My support is always with the students," he said.

The opposition Congress and RJD condemned the police action, while Purnea MP Pappu Yadav said he would call a Bihar bandh on January 1 if the December 13 examination was not cancelled.

Leader of the opposition in the state assembly Tejashwi Yadav said, "Till a few months ago, NDA leaders used to call Nitish Kumar mentally unwell... they used to say that the CM was suffering from some serious illness... Now the same BJP-LJP-HAM leaders are accepting his dictatorial decisions and justifying brutal police action against BPSC aspirants."

"Nitish Kumar calls himself a disciple of socialist icon Jayprakash Narayan, but hates democratic protests," he added.