Hyderabad: A local court at Warangal Hanamkonda on Thursday granted conditional bail to Telangana BJP chief in the SSC Hindi question paper ‘leak’ case. Following the court’s order, he may be released from Karimnagar prison on Friday morning. Sanjay was arrested a day earlier in high drama that prevailed after the BJP alleged that the paper had been leaked.
After an eight-hour-long argument, the magistrate granted bail to Bandi Sanjay and asked him to furnish two Rs 20,000 sureties . The court also directed the BJP president to cooperate with the investigating officials. He has also been asked not to leave the country without prior court permission.
A day earlier on Wednesday, the Kamalapur police at Warangal arrested Bandi Sanjay and three others on charges of their alleged involvement in the SSC Hindi question paper leak case, upon which the court had sent them to 14-day judicial remand. On Thursday, the Telangana police also served Huzurabad BJP MLA and former Bharatha Rashtra Samithi (BRS) minister Eatala Rajender a notice to surrender his phone in the same case.
The legal team of Sanjay had filed a bail petition before the trial court. Upon hearing the lengthy arguments of the defence counsel and prosecution the magistrate granted the conditional bail.
Bandi Sanjay prime accused in Telangana SSC paper ‘leak’ case: Police
The Warangal police had arrested three persons including a minor in the SSC Hindi paper leak. The paper was shared on Whatsapp minutes after the exam began. After his arrest, security has been tightened by the police in Karimnagar and Warangal districts.
Bandi Sanjay has been named the prime accused (A1) in the case. Dismissing all claims of ‘illegal arrest’ Warangal Commissioner AV Ranganath stated that the Lok Sabah Speaker was informed about the MP’s arrest, as per the law.
Addressing the media, AV Ranganath, said that the SSC paper in the second language Hindi was leaked at the exam centre on Tuesday.
“Bandi Sanjay gave instructions to Prashanth to exploit the situation of the SSC paper leak in the Vikarabad stating that if it also happens on Wednesday it will defame the government and show it as a failure of the state government,” the remand report of police stated. The police alleged Karimnagar MP conspired with other BJP workers.
“Technical evidence by analysing the call details of the phones of the accused and Whatsapp chats of the accused proved beyond the reasonable doubt, that the accused persons are involved in a conspiracy regarding the leaking and copying of the question papers on April 4,” the police informed the court.
Three accused M Siva Ganesh, 18, B Prasanth, 33, a former journalist and G Mahesh, a lab assistant were arrested while the Warangal police issued a notice to the juvenile boy on Tuesday. The minor along with his friend wanted to help another write the exam at the Uppala Government School under Kamalapur police station limits. On Tuesday, the minor went through the rare gate inside Government Boys School under Kamalapur Police Station at 9:30 am after the exam had begun.
The teenager then went to the first floor and with the help of a mobile phone took a photo of the question paper. He then shared it with another Ganesh through WhatsApp. The message was forwarded to a WhatsApp group `SSC 2019- 20’ by Siva Ganesh at 9:59 am.
“Mahesh saw the message and forwarded it to Prashanth, who in turn forwarded the photo of the question paper to various groups including ‘Cnu Friends’, reportedly adding captions including ‘breaking news’ and ‘question paper leaked’. The photo and message then went viral via different WhatsApp groups. Prashanth also sent the same to Bandi Sanjay and is said to have made 146 calls in about an hour.
A case under Section 120 (B), 420, 447, 505 (1)(b) of IPC and Section 4 (A), 6 The Telangana Public Examinations (Prevention of Malpractice and Unfair means) Act, 66D IT Act.
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