Odisha Question Paper Leak: Crime Branch Arrests BSE Vice President
The scandal came to light after the Special OTET-2025, which was scheduled for July 20 and meant exclusively for in-service primary school teachers, was abruptly cancelled and postponed indefinitely
Bhubaneswar: In a significant breakthrough in the Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) question paper leak case, the Crime Branch on Sunday arrested Nihar Ranjan Mohanty, vice president of the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha.
Mohanty was taken into custody following an interrogation by the investigating agency on Saturday. With his arrest, the total number of individuals apprehended in connection with the case has risen to eight.
Investigations revealed that the leak originated from within the examination board, with a data entry operator playing a pivotal role. The prime accused, Jitan Maharana, a data entry operator with the board, is believed to have orchestrated the leak.
Crime Branch sources confirmed that a sum of Rs 2.4 lakh was transferred to Maharana’s account, indicating a financial transaction linked to the malpractice.
The scandal came to light after the Special OTET-2025, which was scheduled for July 20 and meant exclusively for in-service primary school teachers, was abruptly cancelled and postponed indefinitely. The cancellation followed a late-night notification from the authorities after the leak was confirmed.
The sudden announcement left over 75,000 candidates disheartened and anxious. A total of 75,403 in-service teachers had registered for the examination, which was to be conducted across 193 centres in all 30 districts of the state.
As the Crime Branch continues its probe, further arrests and revelations are expected in the coming days.