Crime Branch arrests two in question paper leak case in Odisha

Two persons, including a suspended deputy secretary of Council of Higher Secondary Education, Sambalpur Zone, were arrested by Crime Branch of Odisha Police in connection with the question paper leak in the Plus-II Science Exam.

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: Two persons, including a suspended deputy secretary of Council of Higher Secondary Education, Sambalpur Zone, were on Monday arrested by Crime Branch of Odisha Police in connection with the question paper leak in the Plus-II Science Examination.

"We have taken two persons into custody for their involvement in the question paper leak incident," Additional Director general of Police (ADG) and Chief of Crime Branch of Police B K Sharma told reporters at Cuttack. The arrested persons had been identified as Kartik Barik, chairman of privately run Sandylya College of Science and Commerce at Sambalpur and suspended CHSE official Devendra Behera. "During interrogation of Barik, it was known that Behera had handed over question papers of English and Physics to the former. Then Barik distributed the contents of the question among students of his college which ultimately led to leakage of the question paper," Sharma said. While Physics question paper was leaked the English question paper could not go to public as Barik got it at the eleventh hour of the examination, Sharma said. Meanwhile, police had taken BK Jena, the centre superintendent of Anchalika Mahalinga Mohavidyalay, Kalahandi, into custody after it as found that the Chemistry question paper packet was opened much before the examination. With the arrest of the duo at Sambalpur, the total number of persons held in the question paper leakage case has increased to three, police said. Council sources said that Behera had hidden that his son also appeared for Plus II examination this year. As per rules and regulations of CHSE, one cannot be given the charge of examination controller in case his/her relative is appearing for the same exam. Behera, however, claimed that he had informed the council about his son appearing this year`s Plus II exam. "Some CHSE officials have tried to trap me in order to hide their fault," Behera alleged. PTI