TSPSC paper leak case: ED summons officials

Hyderabad: The Enforcement Directorate has summoned two officials of the TSPSC in connection with the question paper leak case even as it has approached a local court to examine two accused who have been arrested, official sources said on Tuesday.

The two TSPSC employees have been asked to appear before the ED here on April 12 and April 13.

The ED has filed an application before the local court seeking its permission to examine two key accused arrested in the case who are currently in judicial custody.

The court has posted the matter for April 12.

The central agency, which had earlier registered an 'Enforcement Case Information Report' (ECIR) in connection with the case, has also written to Hyderabad Police asking it to share documents pertaining to the case, as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Hyderabad Police was presently investigating the case.

A total of 17 people, including some employees of the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC), have been arrested since March 13 over their alleged involvement in the data breach -- for stealing and leaking question papers of TSPSC's Assistant Engineer (Civil) examination, among other exams.

The SIT had earlier recorded the statement of TSPSC Chairman B Janardhan Reddy at his office here, as a witness in the case.

The Secretary and a member of the TSPSC have also appeared before the SIT and their statements were recorded after notices were issued earlier to them.

In a related development, the SIT today filed its status report on the investigation before the Telangana High Court in a sealed cover, after being asked for it earlier by the court.

The court, after hearing the petitions filed by the NSUI (National Students' Union of India, the student wing of the Congress party), including one by its state president B Venkata Narsing Rao requesting the transfer of the probe to the CBI or a judicial probe, posted the matter to April 24.

Expressing doubts over the SIT probe into the issue, the petitioner's counsel had earlier submitted before the court that there may not be a fair and transparent investigation by the SIT, and sought a comprehensive inquiry into the paper leak issue by the CBI.

The TSPSC on March 15 cancelled the Assistant Engineers (AE) exam held on March 5, following allegations that the question paper had been leaked.

Amid protests by opposition parties and students' groups over the alleged question paper leak, the Commission had cancelled the Group-I preliminary exam and two other tests as well.

The TSPSC last month rescheduled the written examination for the post of Horticulture Officer from April 4 to June 17.

Inputs from PTI