Cuttack, Odisha: The question paper of the Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET-2025), conducted by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), was leaked from the official laptop of the Board’s Vice President, Dr. Nihar Ranjan Mohanty.
The Crime Branch has arrested six individuals, including several teachers, for their alleged involvement in the leak and illegal distribution of the confidential question paper before the exam.
Jitan Maharana, a data entry operator with access to internal systems, has been identified as the mastermind. He reportedly accessed the Vice President’s laptop and copied the OTET question paper onto a pen drive. Investigators are still probing how he managed to unlock and breach the high-security system.
The leaked paper, along with handwritten answers, surfaced on social media platforms including Dr. Mohanty’s own Facebook account on the night of July 19 at around 10:45 PM—just hours before the exam was scheduled on July 20. The viral leak forced the Board to cancel the exam immediately.
Arrested Accused Include Serving and Former Teachers :
- Jitan Maharana of Simulia, Balasore (main accused, data operator)
- Bijay Kumar Mishra, Ambadola, Rayagada (former teacher’s association leader)
- Sanatan Bishoi, Kundra, Koraput (teacher)
- Ramji Prasad Gupta, Badambadi, Cuttack (middleman)
- Ajay Kumar Sahu, Baidyapur, Ganjam (teacher)
- Jayant Kumar Raut (44), Rupsa, Balasore (teacher)
Crime Branch sources revealed that the question paper was sold to several individuals including teachers from districts like Cuttack, Rayagada, Koraput, Ganjam, Kalahandi, and Balasore. The paper was being sold for ₹30,000–₹50,000, with one payment of ₹2.5 lakh traced to Jitan’s wife’s bank account via PhonePe.
Jitan reportedly distributed the question paper to Bijay Mishra and Sanatan Bishoi, both associated with former teachers’ associations. Through middlemen like Ramji Gupta, the paper was sold to Ajay Sahu and Jayant Raut, among others.
The Crime Branch has formed a special team under DIG Batula Gangadhar. Establishment Officer Bulbul Behera had earlier filed a written complaint on July 20, which led to the unearthing of the racket after a 10-day-long investigation.
Bank accounts of all the accused are being examined for financial trails. The arrested individuals have been presented in the JMFC-3 Court in Cuttack.
Crime Branch DG Binaytosh Mishra and DIG Batula Gangadhar confirmed the arrests and stated that more people could be brought under the scanner as the investigation progresses.
