Cuttack, August 21: In a major development in the OTET (Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test) question paper leak case, the Crime Branch will take two key accused — Sanatan Bishoi and Ramjee Prasad Gupta — on one-day remand for interrogation today.
The duo is expected to face a series of crucial questions from investigators, including their alleged roles in the paper leak, how they became involved in the operation, the financial benefits they may have received, and the identities of other individuals possibly connected to the racket.
According to sources, the Crime Branch plans to question at least six individuals during this phase of the investigation. Based on the interrogation and findings from Bishoi and Gupta, the agency is preparing to bring former Deputy Speaker Nihar Ranjan Mohanty into remand for further questioning.
Several officials of the Board office and prominent members of the ex-cadre teachers' association have also come under the scanner, with investigators suspecting a larger network behind the leak.
This fresh round of remand follows the earlier interrogation of data entry operator Jitan Maharana and Vijay Kumar Mishra, president of the ex-cadre teachers’ association in Rayagada district. Both were on a two-day remand recently and are believed to have provided significant leads.
Based on those revelations, the Crime Branch moved the JMFC-3 Court in Cuttack seeking a two-day remand for Bishoi and Gupta. However, the court granted permission for a one-day remand instead.
Sanatan Bishoi (51) hails from Sagaraguda village under Kundra police limits in Koraput district, while Ramjee Prasad Gupta (51) is a known middleman from Narayan Lane in Badambadi, Cuttack.
Both accused will be interrogated today, with the Crime Branch aiming to uncover deeper links and identify others potentially involved in the high-profile examination scandal.
