Telangana HC Quashes Case Against Bandi Sanjay in SSC Paper Leak
The paper was later leaked to the public.
Hyderabad: Justice J Anil Kumar of the Telangana High Court on Thursday quashed a criminal case against Union minister of state Bandi Sanjay in the SSC question paper leak case of the year 2023. The judge allowed a quash proceeding filed by Sanjay in the case which had accused him of participating in the leak of Hindi question paper of the exam.
According to the prosecution, the complaint stated that an intruder had taken a photocopy of the question paper when the examination was being held. The paper was later leaked to the public.
Senior counsel L. Ravichander appearing for Sanjay pointed out that except the allegations, no overt acts were attributed to the petitioner. It was argued that no offence under the exam malpractice Act was made out. Even according to the prosecution, the alleged event happened well after the commencement of the examination and therefore, Ravichander contended, the question of question paper leakage did not arise.
Ravichander said Sanjay could not have been named as the primary accused when the complainant, the superintendent of the examination centre, hadstated that an unknown person had jumped the wall, gatecrashed into the premises and forcibly taken a picture of the question paper.
The public prosecutor pointed out that a proper reading of the FIR would point out the complicity of the accused, leading to a larger conspiracy. Ravichander objected to any reliance on an alleged chargesheet; he said that once the chargesheet had been returned by the criminal court concerned, it could not be relied upon before the High Court.
Dictating his order in open court Justice Anil Kumar faulted the prosecution for the reliance placed by it on flimsy evidence. The judge refused to take the contents of the chargesheet on record.