Cuttack: In a major development in the Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) question paper leak case, the Odisha Crime Branch has arrested Nihar Ranjan Mohanty, Vice-President of the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha. The arrest was confirmed by Director General of Police (DGP) Vinaytosh Mishra on Sunday.
DGP Mishra revealed that while the initial investigation pointed to Jitan Maharana, a data entry operator at the board, as the prime accused, further inquiry uncovered a deeper conspiracy involving Mohanty. “Initially, we believed Jitan Maharana to be the main culprit. However, during further interrogation, it became evident that he colluded with Nihar Ranjan Mohanty in leaking the question paper,” said Mishra.
As the Vice-President of BSE, Mohanty was responsible for ensuring the security of examination papers. According to the police, after downloading and proofreading the question paper, he was required to send it to the printing press and delete all digital copies. However, he failed to do so and instead retained the file on his laptop, which later became accessible to others.
“Mohanty claimed his laptop was password-protected and left it in the office. Despite the protection, it was accessed—likely with the password being shared with Maharana,” the DGP explained. Investigators also found evidence of more than 100 interactions between Mohanty and Maharana outside of office hours.
The question paper leak occurred on July 20, prompting a swift investigation that has so far led to the arrest of six individuals, including Maharana.
In response to the scandal, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Lenin Mohanty criticized the state government’s handling of the situation. He called on Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to take a firm stance and demanded the resignation of the Minister of School and Mass Education. “We’ve demanded clear action against Nihar Ranjan Mohanty and others involved. The government recently passed a law prescribing fines up to ₹1 crore and imprisonment up to 10 years for such offences, but no one has been punished so far,” he said.
The case continues to stir public outrage as authorities work to ensure accountability and prevent future breaches in exam security.
