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Uproar in Odisha Assembly over Constable recruitment scam

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Press Trust of India Bhubaneswar
Last Updated : Mar 16 2015 | 2:42 PM IST
Odisha Assembly was stalled today amid pandemonium and adjournments with opposition Congress demanding a statement from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on cancellation of the written test for constable recruitment following reports about question paper leak.
The issue was raised as soon as the House assembled for the day. Congress members rushed to well seeking a statement from the chief minister who is also the minister in charge of home department.
"Though Patnaik was present when opposition demanded a statement, the chief minister chose to run away from the House instead of trying to resolve the issue," Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said when the House reassembled at 12.30 pm.
Rejecting the state government's announcement of a crime branch probe into the question paper leak, Mishra asked, "how can a police probe into misdeeds of other police officers." Mishra demanded an impartial investigation into the matter as it is linked with the vexed unemployment issue.
He alleged that some high ranking police officers were part of the racket that sold question papers in the market at a cost Rs 1.60 lakh per set of question with answer sheet.
Justifying his claim that police cannot investigate into a crime committed by other police persons, Mishra cited an incident in Bolangir where a SDPO rank officer allegedly killed a youth. "I gave in writing to the DGP regarding the incident in Bolangir. But, no action has been taken so far, neither the police have rejected the allegation," he said.
Speaker Niranjan Pujari, in his ruling asked the state government to place a statement before the House by afternoon.

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Meanwhile, the government have ordered a crime branch probe into the question leak. "Two teams have been formed to probe in Kendrapara and Cuttack-Bhubaneswar area," said crime branch additional DG B K Sharma outside the Assembly.
A fresh examination would be conducted for recruitment of police constables, said Amrit Mohan Prasad, Chairman of State Selection Board of Odisha police.
The decision for a crime branch probe was taken at a high level meeting convened by DGP Sanjiv Marik after reports were received from several places about the sale of question papers of the test.

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First Published: Mar 16 2015 | 2:42 PM IST

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