Cuttack: The Crime Branch has arrested six persons in connection with the special OTET question paper leak case. Among the accused is a Data Entry Operator working at the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha.
The arrested individuals include Jitan Moharana, a Data Entry Operator at BSE Cuttack; Bijay Kumar Mishra, the Working President of State Ex-Cadre Teacher Association; Sanatan Bisoi, President of Ex-Cadre Teachers Association of Koraput District; Ram Jee Prasad Gupta; Ajay Ku Sahoo; and Jayant Ku Rout.
Crime Branch DG Binaytosh Mishra said the investigation began after the Vice President of BSE, Cuttack, noticed that handwritten question answers matching the actual question sets prepared by BSE Cuttack were circulating on social media platforms like Facebook on July 19, 2025. As a result, the Special OTET-2025 examination was postponed.
During interrogation, it was revealed that Jitan Moharana unlawfully accessed the laptop of the Vice President of BSE and obtained the question papers, which were then disseminated to other accused individuals. They sold the leaked papers to desperate teachers who wanted to qualify for the examination for benefits like job regularisation and pay increments.
Preliminary investigation into financial transactions showed that the accused received money through account transfers and cash. Jitan Moharana received ₹2.50 lakh through a PhonePe UPI transaction. The accounts of the alleged accused are currently under verification.
The Crime Branch seized electronic gadgets, including mobile phones, and leaked question papers from the accused. The investigation revealed that the nexus operates across different districts, selling question papers for lakhs of rupees to victims.
