Bhubaneswar, July 14: The Odisha Crime Branch on Tuesday arrested former State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Director Manoj Padhi in connection with alleged irregularities in the preparation, approval and publication of school textbooks for Classes I to VIII.

Padhi was earlier detained for questioning by the investigating agency. After examining evidence and recording his statement, the Crime Branch formally placed him under arrest as part of its ongoing investigation.

The probe began on Monday after the Crime Branch registered a criminal case into the alleged lapses in the preparation, approval and publication of textbooks used in government schools across the state.

The case has been registered under Sections 316(5), 201, 3(5) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) based on a complaint filed by SCERT Director Madhusmita Sahu. The investigation is being led by DSP Narendra Kumar Behera under the supervision of the Crime Branch Superintendent of Police.

The action follows a state government inquiry that uncovered 1,678 factual, typographical and printing errors in textbooks across multiple subjects. Based on the findings of a three-member committee headed by Development Commissioner D.K. Singh, the government had suspended Manoj Padhi and three assistant directors of SCERT.

The Crime Branch is now examining the role of officials involved in the drafting, approval and printing of the textbooks to determine accountability for the large-scale lapses.

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