A court in Hanamkonda granted bail to Telangana BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar who was arrested over the alleged leak of secondary school exam papers.
The bail was granted to Sanajy Kumar on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 20,000 with two sureties.
The court also asked him not to leave the country without permission. He was also asked not to tamper with the evidence, and cooperate with the investigation.
What was the case all about?
Sanjay Kumar, a Lok Sabha MP from Karimnagar constituency, was named as the prime accused in the case relating to the alleged circulation of Class 10 (SSC) Hindi examination question paper in groups of an instant messaging app.
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He was arrested by the Warangal Police on Wednesday on charges of criminal conspiracy and malpractices, among others.
He and three others arrested in the case were on Wednesday remanded in judicial custody till April 19 by a court in Hanamkonda and they were lodged in a jail in Karimnagar.
A minor boy, who had allegedly taken photos of the paper from the exam centre in Hanamkonda after being told to do so by two accused, was also apprehended.
The photo of the purported SSC Hindi question paper was posted in a group of the app by one of the accused on April 4.
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It was subsequently shared in other groups by the second accused (a former journalist) who sent it to Sanjay Kumar, BJP MLA E Rajender and several others, police had said.
After purported images of two question papers surfaced on social media, police accused Sanjay Kumar of conspiring with other accused to create rumours and provoke breach of peace during the ongoing SSC public examination to defame the state government.
The images of the SSC Telugu and Hindi question papers surfaced in the social media platform on April 3 and April 4 while the exams were under. The exams began across the state on April 3.
Sanjay Kumar's bail plea
Sanjay Kumar had filed a bail application which the court accepted tonight after hearing the arguments and counter-arguments.
The Warangal Police opposed the bail plea on the grounds that the accused may try to tamper with the evidence and disturb the process of the conduct of the exams which was underway.
Police had also filed a petition in the court on Thursday seeking three-day custody of Sanjay Kumar and other accused for further investigation. The court posted the custody petition to Monday.
Police on Thursday also issued notices to BJP MLA E Rajender and others asking them to appear before the investigators for recording their statements as witnesses.
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BJP's response
BJP leader and Union Tourism and Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy condemned the notice issued to Rajender, saying it was done with a "vindictive attitude towards the BJP".
He also said the threat to issue notices to journalists as part of the investigation is an attempt to crush the rights of mediapersons in Telangana.
He said the BJP would stand by journalists if they are served notices by the police.
Meanwhile, the Telangana High Court on Thursday posted to Monday hearing on a petition filed by Sanjay Kumar, challenging the remand order of the magistrate court.
On the habeas corpus petition filed by the BJP, the High Court issued notice to police and posted the matter for hearing after four weeks.
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(With PTI Inputs)
