OTET Question Paper Leak: Six arrested, including Data Entry Operator of BSE, Cuttack

Bhubaneswar, July 30: In a major breakthrough, the Odisha Crime Branch has arrested six individuals in connection with the Special Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET)-2025 question paper leak. Among those apprehended is a Data Entry Operator from the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Cuttack.

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The arrested include Jitan Moharana, employed as a Data Entry Operator at BSE Cuttack; Bijay Kumar Mishra, Working President of the State Ex-Cadre Teacher Association; Sanatan Bisoi, President of the Koraput District Ex-Cadre Teachers Association; along with Ram Jee Prasad Gupta, Ajay Kumar Sahoo, and Jayanta Kumar Rout.

Crime Branch Director General Binaytosh Mishra informed that the investigation was initiated after the Vice President of BSE discovered that handwritten notes, which matched official OTET question papers, were being circulated on Facebook on July 19. This development led to the postponement of the Special OTET-2025 examination.

During questioning, it was revealed that Jitan Moharana had illegally accessed the Vice President’s laptop to obtain the question papers, which were then distributed to the other accused. The leaked materials were reportedly sold to aspiring candidates seeking job regularisation and salary hikes.

Preliminary findings suggest that the group collected money both in cash and through digital transactions. Notably, Moharana is reported to have received ₹2.5 lakh via a PhonePe UPI transfer. Authorities are currently verifying the financial trails linked to the accused.

The Crime Branch has seized multiple electronic devices, including mobile phones, along with copies of the leaked question papers. Investigators suspect a broader inter-district network is involved in selling the papers for hefty sums.

The probe is ongoing, with further arrests and revelations likely.