Bhubaneswar: The Crime Branch has detained a teacher of a primary school from Ambadola in Rayagada district in connection with the alleged leak of the Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) question paper.
The teacher, identified as Bijaya Mishra reportedly works at the Dangarbori Primary School. He also holds the position of president of the Rayagada District Ex-Cadre Teachers’ Association.
Sources said the teacher was picked up by the Crime Branch with the assistance of local police.
The special OTET examination, which was scheduled to be held on July 20, was abruptly a few hours before it was set to begin. The cancellation raised concerns among nearly 75,000 aspiring teachers who were set to appear for the exam.
The exam was cancelled after alleged images of what appeared to be Paper I and Paper II of the OTET began circulating on social media platforms.
The Crime Branch is investigating several angles in the case and is reported to be conducting searches and questioning suspects in different districts. The detained teacher is suspected to have links with the question paper leak, though no official confirmation has been made yet.
Earlier on July 26, the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha, had transferred six officials following the abrupt cancellation of the exam.
