TSPSC Paper Leak: HC asks SIT to file status report by April 11

Hyderabad: On Tuesday, Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT), investigating the TSPSC Asst Engineer Exam question paper leak, to file a status report on the investigation done into FIR No 64/2023 registered at the Begum Bazar Police Station, Hyderabad, by April 11, 2023. It also issued notices to the Principal Secretary to the government, Home Department, CP Hyderabad, DCP Central Zone, Secretary, Telangana State Public Service Commission and Addl CP Crimes (SIT) to file counter affidavits.

The judge ruled out a CBI probe into the TSPSC paper leak. The judge felt that the petitioner Dr Balmuri Venkata Narasinga Rao has not furnished any tangible evidence to show that the investigation done by the SIT is biased, and further, there is no material placed before the court which shows that the government is trying to suppress the case.

In the order, Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy said that the court cannot take cognisance of the contentions of the press meeting held by K Tarakarama Rao, IT and Municipal Administration Minister on March 18, 2023, during which the minister stated that only two accused - Praveen Kumar, Asst Section Officer and Atla Rajashekar, System Analyst - are responsible for the question paper leak and gave a clean chit to the TSPSC. In this regard too, the petitioner has not placed any material before the court to substantiate his contentions, except for press reports.

Vivek Tankha, senior counsel from Supreme Court, appearing for the petitioner informed the court that KTR gave a clean chit to the TSPSC even before the SIT could get tangible information from the investigation. Only after filing the writ petition did the SIT seek police custody of the accused, which clearly shows that the BRS government wants to hush up the entire case, he said. The senior counsel also stressed that nearly 20 candidates who appeared in the recent preliminary examination held by the TSPSC got through the examination and all of them belong to KTR’s Assembly Constituency.

In criminal jurisprudence, it is the investigating agency which gives a clean chit to an accused after a thorough investigation. However, in this case, it is the BRS government who gave a clean chit to the TSPSC and such a press statement by the state minister creates doubts about the official investigation. Hence, the senior counsel sought an order to the CBI or any independent agency to probe the question paper leak case as it relates to the future of thousands of candidates who appeared for the competitive examinations held by the TSPSC. These aspiring candidates are turning to the court for justice which could repose confidence in them, said the senior counsel.

BS Prasad, Advocate General appearing for the state, informed the court that the TSPSC has cancelled the examinations in the larger interest of the public and questioned the petitioners as to how they are affected by the cancellation of the examination. In the first instance, the AG requested the court to dismiss the writ petition as not maintainable on the grounds that the petitioner Mr Balmuri Venkata Narasinga Rao is affiliated to the Indian National Congress party and does not have locus to file the writ petition, which he claimed to be politically motivated.

The other two petitioners in the writ petition have also appeared for different posts held by the TSPSC. The SIT, armed with its cyber team, is on the job of unearthing the truth from the perpetrators, who are behind the question paper leak. So far nine persons were arrested in this case and the SIT has even gone to the places where the other culprits reside and is eliciting information from them regarding the paper leak. The AG further informed the court that the SIT is also questioning all those candidates who got through the preliminary examination and obtained high marks. The court was adjourned to April 11.