The Andhra Pradesh High Court has granted anticipatory bail to the daughters and son-in-law of former minister Ponguru Narayana and some others in the Class 10 question paper leak case. Narayana's daughters P Sharani and P Sindhura, son-in-law K Punith and 10 others of the Narayana Group of Educational Institutions got anticipatory bail. On a house motion petition filed by them, Justice K Manmadha Rao passed the interim orders, directing the government not to take any hasty action against them. The court adjourned the hearing to May 18.
Narayana, a leader of the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and founder of Narayana Group of Institutions, was arrested last week in connection with the paper leak case. A team of Chittoor police had taken him into custody in Hyderabad on May 10. He was produced before a magistrate in Chittoor in the wee hours of May 11. However, the magistrate granted bail to Narayana after agreeing with the contention of his counsel that he resigned from the post of the chairman of Narayana Group in 2014.
Narayana and seven others were arrested in a case registered in Chittoor town in connection with the leakage of a question paper for the Class 10 board exams or SSC exams on April 27. The police had booked a case after the Telugu question paper was leaked from an examination centre and circulated in a WhatsApp group.
The case was registered on a complaint by the District Educational Officer (DEO) about the circulation of a Telugu language question paper on April 27. In the wake of Narayana's arrest, his daughters, son-in-law and others associated with the Narayana Group moved the high court, seeking anticipatory bail.
The opposition TDP has condemned Narayana's arrest and termed it as political vendetta by YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government, but the latter defended its action and alleged that the Narayana Group was involved in several irregularities.