Why was Bandi Sanjay taken into preventive custody in SSC paper leak case

Telangana: Police have taken Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Telangana president Bandi Sanjay Kumar into preventive custody in connection with the SSC Hindi question paper leak.

Karimnagar police picked him up from his residence after midnight. He was shifted to the Bommala Ramaram police station in Yadadri Bhongir district.

Police have accused him of being involved in the SSC Hindi examination question paper leak.

Within half an hour of the SSC exam, pictures of the question paper were circulating on WhatsApp groups. It started in Warangal and later spread across the state.

According to reports, a large police force was deployed at Kumar's residence during the arrest. Mild tension ensued as family members and party workers attempted to resist the arrest. Sources suggest that Kumar has since filed a complaint with the Lok Sabha Speaker's office, alleging that he was taken into custody without a warrant.

It has been revealed that 151 cases have been registered against Kumar under Section 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. This section allows a police officer to arrest a person without a warrant if they have knowledge of a plan to commit a cognizable offence and believe that the offence cannot be prevented otherwise.

The BJP leader's detention caused an uproar among party members, prompting many to rush to the Bommala Ramaram police station to protest. As a precautionary measure, additional police forces were deployed to the area.

Former Bhongir MP and BJP leader Boora Narasaiah Goud, along with an advocate, later visited Kumar at the police station. The reason for his arrest remains unknown at this time.

Warangal Commissioner of Police A V Ranganath said circulation of the question paper cannot be considered a leak if it occurred before the commencement of the exam. He further stated that in this instance, pictures of the question paper started making rounds on social media half an hour after the exam had started.

Police said the paper was leaked from an exam center located at Kamalapur in Hanamkonda. As per their investigation, a minor boy climbed a tree and managed to gain access to a classroom on the first floor where the exam was taking place. He then requested a student to show him the question paper, took pictures, and shared them with a friend who subsequently forwarded them to a WhatsApp group.

Later, an employee of the Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) forwarded the pictures to P Prashanth, a former journalist, who then shared them with a group of journalists. Prashanth also forwarded the images of the question paper to Bandi Sanjay, as per Ranganath.

బీజేపీ తెలంగాణ ఇంచార్జి సునీల్ బన్సల్ తో వరంగల్ పేపర్ లీక్ నిందితుడు ప్రశాంత్ pic.twitter.com/wgJdFzN759

— Balka Suman (@balkasumantrs) April 5, 2023