OTET Question Paper Leak: Headmaster Prasant Khamari Suspended After Arrest
(OT webdesk)In a major development in the Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) question paper leak scandal, the Odisha Higher Education Department has suspended Prasant Kumar Khamari, headmaster of the Government Upper Primary School in Bhejipadar, Bhawanipatna.
Khamari was arrested on July 31 for allegedly orchestrating the leak of handwritten question papers that circulated on social media ahead of the July 20 exam.
Investigations revealed that Khamari collaborated with Bijay Kumar Mishra, Ex-Cadre Working President of the State Ex-Cadre Teacher Association; Sanatan Bisoi, President of the Koraput Ex-Cadre Teachers Association; and Jitan Moharana, a data entry operator at the Board of Secondary Education (BSE).
Moharana allegedly provided a digital copy of the question paper, which Khamari transcribed by hand to make it appear authentic.
The leaked paper was reportedly sold to teachers who had previously failed the Special OTET, with a Rs 99,000 PhonePe transaction traced to Mishra.
Authorities have seized Khamari’s mobile phone and collected handwriting samples for forensic analysis. His financial records are also under scrutiny as the Crime Branch deepens its probe.
