SSC question paper scandal: Notice served on Etala Rajender for questioning

WARANGAL: In a sudden move, the Kamalapur police of the Warangal Police Commissionerate, on Thursday served a notice on BJP Huzurabad MLA Etala Rajender with regard to the SSC question paper leakage scandal. Serving the notice under section 91/160 of the CrPC, the Kamalapur police summoned Rajender as a witness to appear before them at the office of the DCP Central Zone of Hanamkonda district at 11 am on April 7, 2023.

Responding to the notice, Rajender has informed the police that he would be able to appear before them at 11 am on April 10, 2023, citing pre-scheduled engagements. BJP Telangana President Bandi Sanjay and a few others have been arrested in connection with the exposure of the SSC examinations question papers to outsiders.

“It is requested to provide your mobile (phone) details and other evidence required in this case and also these details are required for further investigation in Crime No. 60/2023 of Kamalapur PS, Warangal Police Commissionerate. You are requested personally to attend before the undersigned at DCP Central zone office, Police Head Quarter Hanamkonda district,” the notice read.

The notice also detailed the alleged sequence of events starting from how a minor boy trespassed into the Kamalapur Zilla Parishad Boys High School and took the photo of the question paper from Harish, one of the accused, at 9:45 am on April 4.

The notice also claimed that the images of the exposed question paper was forwarded, among others, to Etala Rajender, Bandi Sanjay Kumar besides Raju and Narender, the personal assistants of the Huzurabad MLA. The Kamalapur police, as part of their investigation into the case, have summoned Etala Rajender to reportedly verify technical evidence pertaining to the Whatsapp forwards from A2 Prashanth.

Etala Rajender, a few hours after Bandi Sanjay’s arrest on Wednesday, denied having any role in the question papers exposure, as alleged by the Telangana police. He said that he only knew the red and green button on his phone, that is to answer the phone calls. Rajender claimed that he had not seen the forwards from Prashanth maintaining that his PAs usually check all his messages on his smartphone.

The police summoning Etala Rajender in the case certainly came as a surprise, especially after the categorical statement by Warangal Commissioner of Police Ranganath during a press conference on Wednesday. Defending the arrest of Bandi Sanjay, Ranganath sought to reason that all those who received the exposed question paper through Whatsapp forwards were not being pursued. He specifically took the name of Rajender to say that they had not initiated any action against the Huzurabad MLA and others for merely receiving the forwarded message in social media.

It is learnt that Etala Rajender would be appearing before the Kamalapur police at 11 am on Friday (April 7, 2023).