TSPSC paper leak case: How can outsourced employee write exam? HC poser to govt

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court single bench of Justice BollamVijaysen Reddy on Tuesday afternoon heard the writ petition filed by Balmoori Venkat Narsing Rao, TS NSUI president, and two others seeking transfer of investigation into TSPSC paper leak case to CBI or a sitting judge.

Advocate-General Banda Shivananda Prasad furnished the status report in a sealed cover to the court on the SIT probe into the case.

Vivek Thanka, senior counsel, Supreme Court, who appeared for the petitioner, urged the court to direct the State to serve a copy of status report to Rao to enable him to assist the court. Prasad objected saying as investigation is on it can't be shared to a third party.

Justice Reddy observed that after filing the chargesheet any document submitted to the court will become a public document and did not issue any order in this regard.

Vivek Thanka submitted to the court that in the case international ramification / havala is involved, the chief of SIT is guilty of contempt case and a minister is disclosing the investigation. The interests of about 30 lakh students appearing for the exam are at stake. As such, it is a fit case to transfer it to CBI, he argued.

The A-G submitted that the court can't consider it since they are all assumptions only. The SIT is doing its investigation properly. Material evidences were sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis and reports are awaited. Of 18 accused 17 have been arrested and are in judicial remand. The other one is in New Zealand. Efforts are on to arrest him shortly. The State will not spare anyone who is involved in the leak, Prasad said.

Justice Reddy posed questions to A-G, "as per news reports outsourced employees working for TSPSC have appeared for its exams. How can they be issued hall-tickets and permitted to write exams? How they could have accessed confidential data".

Vivek Tankha insisted for a CBI probe as the investigation details are in the public domain through IT Minister K T Rama Rao. He reiterated that the court should look into two aspects--question paper leak and money transferred to persons who got the paper. The Enforcement Directorate has already stepped in and commenced a probe on transfer of money.

KTR on March 18 divulged all details pertaining to SIT probe. Hence SIT is reporting to the minister not the high court. Hence, he insisted for a CBI probe.

Justice Reddy, after hearing A-G and the petitioner's counsel , directed Prasad to prepare a list comprising details--how many outsourced persons in TSPSC were issued hall-tickets and cleared the exam; how many got more than 100 marks.

As the judge expressed his inability to hear the case since there is a full court reference at 3.30 pm, the hearing was posted on April 24.

Hearing in Viveka murder case adjourned

The high court on Tuesday heard the petition filed by MP Avinash Reddy's father Bhaskar Reddy in the YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case.

Sunil Yadav is alleged to have killed Viveka after he spoke rudely to his mother. Bhaskar Reddy's lawyer argued that the CBI is not considering the testimony of eyewitnesses; it is relying on hearsay statements. The statement of Dastagir, who has become approver, is also a hearsay, the petitioner's counsel stated.

The court adjourned the proceedings to April 13.