Jaipur, March 23 (NationPress) The Supreme Court of India has revoked the interim bail previously awarded to Babulal Katara, a suspended member of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), linked to a significant paper leak scandal. This resolution followed the court's review of objections presented in a counter-affidavit by the Rajasthan government.

A Bench led by Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma annulled the interim bail granted on February 9.

The Rajasthan government asserted in its counter-affidavit that Katara faces five ongoing cases, including one initiated by the Enforcement Directorate.

It emphasized that the charges concerning a major examination paper leak during Katara's tenure as an RPSC member have significant ramifications for public interest. The government argued that interim bail is an extraordinary and discretionary measure, subject to revocation depending on the nature of the allegations, the accused's behavior, and changing circumstances. It also highlighted the necessity for continued judicial custody to facilitate a fair and unbiased inquiry.

The Rajasthan state was represented in court by Additional Solicitor General S.D. Sanjay and Additional Advocate General Shiv Mangal Sharma.

Legal representatives Anisha Rastogi and Sonali Gaur also advocated for the state during the proceedings.

According to the chargesheet, the question paper for the Senior Teacher Examination set for December 24, 2022, was compromised approximately 60 days earlier in October. Investigations indicated that Katara allegedly took original copies of all question paper sets to his home, where his nephew, Vijay Damor, transcribed the questions into a ledger.

The document was later sent back for printing, while the handwritten material was purportedly delivered to the orchestrator, Sher Singh Meena.

Meena allegedly photographed the details, replicated the paper, and sold it to a criminal syndicate. The ledger was subsequently incinerated to eliminate incriminating evidence. When the Supreme Court granted interim bail on February 9, it instructed the Rajasthan government to produce a comprehensive counter-affidavit within a fortnight, addressing matters such as the status of the chargesheet, witness count, trial progress, and the criminal history of the accused.

Despite the earlier interim bail, Katara remained in custody due to a distinct case filed by the Enforcement Directorate.

He has been detained in relation to both the SI Recruitment-2021 paper leak case and the Enforcement Directorate case. The Special Operations Group (SOG) had previously apprehended Katara, his nephew, and his driver regarding this matter.