A court in Telangana's Warangal district on Thursday granted bail to state BJP President and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar in Class 10 question paper leak case.
After a marathon hearing on bail petition, Additional First Class Magistrate at Hanamkonda on Thursday night ordered Sanjay's release on bail subject to certain conditions.
The police had also moved a petition for three day custody of Sanjay. The magistrate adjourned the hearing on the same to Monday.
The police had requested the court to adjourn the hearing on the bail petition to Monday. Sanjay's lawyers, however, insisted that the bail petition be disposed of on Thursday.
The Karimnagar MP was arrested amid high-drama from his in-laws' house in Karimnagar on Tuesday night. This triggered protests by the BJP, which termed the arrest illegal.
Warangal police have named Sanjay as the main accused in the leakage of Hindi question paper of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam from an exam centre at Kamlapur in Warangal district on Tuesday.
After the arrest, Sanjay was taken to a police station in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district and then brought to Warangal in the evening. He was produced at the residence of the First Class Magistrate in Hanamkonda on Wednesday evening. The magistrate sent him to judicial custody till April 19.
Sanjay was shifted to Karimnagar district jail on Wednesday night.
Police alleged that Sanjay hatched a plan with other accused to leak the Class 10 question paper.
Sanjay and nine other accused were booked under Indian Penal Code's (IPC) Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 505 (circulating any report or statement with an intent to cause alarm to the public)
Police have also invoked sections 4 (A), 6 of TS Public Examinations (Prevention of Malpractices) Act and 66-D of Information Technology Act.
Meanwhile, Warangal police have also issued notice to BJP MLA Eatala Rajender, asking him to appear before it on Friday for the investigation in the case.
The notice was served under section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The MLA has been asked to come to Warangal DCP office
The police have also summoned Rajender's personal assistants Raju and Narendra.
Rajender and his PA were among the persons to whom accused number three had sent the leaked paper on April 4.
Rajender informed the police he would not be able to appear before it on Friday. The MLA communicated that he will appear on April 10.
Reacting to the notice, Rajender said he did not open WhatsApp to see what was sent to him. He said if necessary, he will give his phone to the police. He said he would go to record his statement.
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy condemned the notice served to Rajender. He alleged that the BRS government was resorting to cheap politics.
Kishan Reddy said he had never seen notices being issued for receiving messages on WhatsApp. He claimed that police were also threatening to issue notices to journalists
The central minister said a false case was booked against Bandi Sanjay.
