Cuttack: The Crime Branch will investigate the Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC) Junior Engineer (Civil) examination question paper leak, Orissa High Court has directed.
A source Saturday said that it has also been directed by the court that the investigation will be carried out under the supervision of a DIG or a higher-ranking police officer.
The High Court has expressed concern over printing the question papers at a private press in Kolkata instead of printing it at government-owned press in Odisha. The court has directed the Crime Branch to probe any involvement of government officials regarding the printing of the question papers outside Odisha.
Besides, the high court has directed OSSC to include the 56 candidates — who were previously barred from giving any examination conducted by OSSC for allegedly procuring the leaked question papers — in the upcoming recruitment process. However, the court has mentioned that the recruitment of these candidates would depend upon the outcome of the investigation.
Notably, Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC) July 23 had cancelled the JE (Civil) Main written examination that was held July 16 and rescheduled it to September 3 following the confirmation by Balasore SP about the question paper leak.
Also read: Locals smear ink on alleged eve-teasers in Odisha’s Cuttack
Nearly 17 people including the alleged mastermind, were arrested in connection with the question paper leak, police said.
It was earlier alleged that nearly 88 aspirants paid money to the suspects to get the question paper prior to the examination.
The mastermind of the question paper leak case is a Bihar government employee. The arrested persons are residents of Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
Two of the accused persons arrested were teachers serving under the Odisha government. The Balasore SP had recommended action against both for their alleged involvement in the question leak.
PNN