Over 50 candidates boycotted a recruitment examination conducted by the Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC), alleging that the question paper was leaked.

The preliminary examination for accountants was held on Sunday, and the candidates who were appearing for it at the Bhadrak Autonomous College alleged that the seal of the question paper's envelope was opened long before the stipulated time.

They then boycotted the examination, and staged a demonstration outside the venue.

Bhadrak's sub-collector Manoj Patra said the allegation was baseless.

The examinees who made the allegation did not sit for the examination despite a "verification" by the district administration, another officer said.

Collector Siddeshwar Baliram Bondra visited all five examination centres in the district, and said that the test was held smoothly.

A similar allegation of question paper leak was also reported from an examination centre in Berhampur town in Ganjam district.

The examination was held in 138 centres across the state, and about 50,000 candidates appeared for it.

The question paper of JE (Civil) Main Examination conducted by the OSSC on July 16 was also leaked.

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