Bhubaneswar, Aug 7: In a major development in the Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) 2025 question paper leak case, the JMFC Court has granted permission to the Crime Branch to take two prime accused — Jitan Moharana and Bijay Mishra — on a two-day remand for further interrogation.

The Crime Branch had earlier sought a four-day remand to intensify its investigation into the leak that led to the cancellation of the Special OTET examination scheduled for July 20. However, the court approved a two-day custodial interrogation, scheduled for August 11 and 12.

Jitan Moharana, a data entry operator at the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), is alleged to have accessed and leaked the question paper from the laptop of BSE Vice-President Nihar Ranjan Mohanty. Bijay Mishra, working president of the State Ex-Cadre Teachers’ Association, is suspected to have played a key role in circulating the leaked paper.

The leak, which went viral on social media platforms, triggered widespread outrage among aspirants and raised serious concerns about the integrity of teacher recruitment exams in Odisha. So far, eight individuals have been arrested, including BSE Vice-President Mohanty, who was suspended following his arrest.

The Crime Branch is now probing deeper into the financial transactions and communication records of the accused to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy. Officials are also reviewing the Board’s standard operating procedures to identify lapses and prevent future breaches.

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