Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest to three suspended Assistant Directors of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in connection with the alleged irregularities in the preparation and publication of school textbooks that triggered a major controversy in Odisha.

The interim relief was granted to Dilip Kumar Sahu, Pralipta Mishra and Bharati Tudu, who had approached the High Court seeking anticipatory bail, apprehending arrest by the Crime Branch during the ongoing investigation.

Sources said the Crime Branch is expected to issue notices to the three officials shortly, summoning them for questioning as part of the probe.

Former SCERT Director's arrest leads to fresh legal relief for officials

The officials moved the High Court after the arrest of former SCERT Director Manoj Kumar Padhy, who was taken into custody following prolonged interrogation by the Crime Branch over the alleged lapses in the publication of textbooks for Classes I to VIII.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had earlier suspended Padhy along with Assistant Directors Pralipta Mishra, Dilip Kumar Sahu and Bharati Tudu after the textbook controversy came to light.

The four were suspended based on the findings of a high-level inquiry committee headed by Development Commissioner DK Singh.

The state government has also initiated disciplinary proceedings against six other Assistant Directors—Bandita Pattnaik, Manas Ranjan Rout, Manoranjan Mahapatra, Prashant Kumar Sahu, Manas Kumar Nayak and Dr. Sudarshan Santara.

The Crime Branch launched its investigation on the directions of the Chief Minister after receiving a written complaint from SCERT Director Madhusmita Sahu.

To ensure a comprehensive probe, the agency constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the Crime Branch Superintendent of Police, with Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Narendra Kumar Behera serving as the Investigating Officer.

The textbook controversy erupted after more than 1,600 errors were reportedly found in newly published textbooks for Classes I to VIII. The mistakes sparked widespread criticism from opposition parties, educationists, parents and other stakeholders, raising serious concerns over quality control in the preparation of educational materials for government schools.

The Crime Branch is continuing its investigation to determine responsibility for the lapses, while further questioning of officials connected with the publication process is expected in the coming days.