TSPSC paper leak: Telangana Cong chief appears before SIT

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president and party MP A Revanth Reddy on Thursday appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing into the case of the question paper leak for a recruitment test conducted by the TSPSC, after being summoned to give evidence over his allegations in connection with the case.

Congress workers protested over the notice issued to Revanth Reddy as he appeared at the SIT office here.

The Telangana Congress claimed that ahead of Revanth Reddy's appearance before the SIT, several Congress leaders and cadre had been put under "house arrest" or taken into preventive custody here as well as in some other places in the state.

"We witnessed high drama of BRS in front of ED office in Delhi and here @TelanganaCMO tries to suppress the protests of opposition. The arrests of our leaders and cadre is highly condemnable in the context that I have been asked to appear today at the SIT office to give evidence on #TSPSC paper leak based on my statements," Revanth Reddy tweeted.

In a notice served recently, the SIT of Hyderabad Police asked the Congress leader to be present at its office on March 23 and produce "documents or other thing/material" which may be relevant for the purpose of the investigation being carried out in connection with the case.

Reddy was asked to share the information and submit evidence to the SIT with regard to the allegations made by him, the police had said.

The TPCC chief on Sunday alleged that about 100 persons hailing from one mandal had secured more than 103 marks in Group-I exams.

He went on to accuse the personal assistant of State IT Minister K T Rama Rao of having links with the second accused (a contract employee at TSPSC) in the paper leak case, and pointed out that the PA and the accused hailed from neighbouring villages.

The Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) on March 15 cancelled the Assistant Engineers (AE) exam held on March 5, following allegations that the question paper had been leaked. Amid protests by opposition parties and students' groups in the past several days over the alleged question paper leak, the Commission on March 17 cancelled the Group-I preliminary exam and two other tests as well.

Nine people, including an Assistant Section Officer in the TSPSC, a contract employee of TSPSC, two candidates and a police constable, were arrested on March 13 over their alleged involvement in the data breach -- for stealing and leaking of TSPSC's Assistant Engineer (Civil) examination question paper.

The exam was held on March 5.

Police are investigating if there are any more people involved in the case and whether any other question papers had also been leaked.