TSPSC paper leak: SIT serves fresh notice on Bandi Sanjay, seeks evidence

HYDERABAD: Officials of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the TSPSC question paper leak scandal, have served a fresh notice on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Telangana President Bandi Sanjay. The SIT asked him to appear before it for questioning on March 26, 2023 (Sunday), and furnish evidence for the allegations he made over the scandal.

The investigating agency has already summoned the Karimnagar MP once before for his claims over the question paper leak scandal. Bandi Sanjay alleged the involvement of ‘influential persons’ in the scam that rocked the TSPSC. Responding to this, the SIT asked him to provide evidence to back his claims and asked him to turn up at its office on March 24, 2023. However, the BJP Telangana chief expressed his inability to comply with the summons, citing the ongoing Parliament session in New Delhi.

Unrelenting, the SIT came up with the fresh summons as part of its efforts to seek evidence from Bandi Sanjay and go deeper into the scam.

On Friday, Telangana IT Minister K T Rama Rao served legal notices on both Bandi Sanjay and TPCC chief Revanth Reddy for dragging him into the question paper leak case with baseless allegations. He accused the two leaders of resorting to the accusations with a mala fide intention to tarnish his image and reputation in public.

SIT arrests Rajasekhar’s relative

Meanwhile, the SIT has arrested one more person in connection with the question paper leakage muddle. Prashanth, believed to be a relative of prime accused Rajasekhar Reddy, and a native of Nawabpet in Mahabubnagar district, was taken into custody by the investigating team. The action was taken after the SIT could reportedly establish Prashanth’s involvement in the scam.

As per the SIT sources, Prashanth secured more than 100 marks in Group-1 prelims examination after allegedly purchasing the leaked question paper from Rajasekhar Reddy. Following his arrest, the SIT is also extracting information on the alleged financial transactions between Prashanth and Rajasekhar Reddy and Renuka Rathod, the other accused in the case. With this, the total number of persons arrested in the TSPSC question paper leak case rose to 13.

Bandi Sanjay defiant, sticks to his guns

Meanwhile, reacting to the SIT notice issued to him, BJP Telangana chief Bandi Sanjay said that he would take a call on attending the questioning after consulting his legal team. Striking a defiant posture, he said that he was still committed to his earlier demand of an inquiry by a sitting High Court judge into the TSPSC scam and the SIT notice would not deter him into altering his position on this.

He said that he himself invited the SIT team to his residence this time after the officials pasted the notice on the wall of his house on the first occasion when he was not present there. He continued his tirade against the investigating team and the State Government wondering why opposition leaders were being targetted with notices while letting the real culprits go scot free.

He also reiterated his demand for the resignation of IT Minister K T Rama Rao, taking responsibility for the scandal. “They said, only two persons were responsible for the leakage of the question papers. Then, why did the SIT issue notices to 20 persons so far?,” he questioned.