TV
In a significant development in the Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) question paper leak case, the Crime Branch on Monday requested additional time to submit the case diary. As a result, the hearing on bail pleas of all accused has been postponed to August 22.
Also Read: OTET question paper leak: Crime Branch arrests Odisha BSE vice president Nihar Ranjan Mohanty
During a scheduled hearing at the Cuttack Additional District Judge (ADJ) Court, the anti-crime agency informed the bench that more time is required to complete and file the case documentation. The delay led the court to defer the bail hearing of all individuals involved in the crime, who were previously arrested in this connection.
The next hearing in the case has now been scheduled for August 22, where further progress on the investigation and bail applications is expected.
The OTET paper leak has raised serious concerns about the integrity of recruitment exams in the State, prompting a detailed probe by the Crime Branch. The State agency is to interrogate two more accused in the OTET question paper leak case under remand.
Crime Branch will take the two persons on remand, who are businessman Ramji Prasad Gupta and the teachers’ association president Sanatan Bisoi. The duo will be taken on one-day remand on August 21, as permitted by the JMFC-3 Court. The Crime Branch had applied for a two-day remand for both accused, which was not allowed by the court.
While the defence counsel argued that the investigation had already reached its final stage and further remand was unnecessary, the Crime Branch submitted that several new facts had emerged during the probe, and it was necessary to interrogate the accused to verify the freshly obtained evidence.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the ADJ court granted a day’s remand.
No comments were received from the Odisha Crime Branch in this regard.
Earlier, the main accused, Jitan Maharana, and the teacher association leader, Bijaya Mishra, were taken on a two-day remand by the Crime Branch.
