The alleged fraud in the Odisha sub-inspector recruitment exam, which led to the arrest of 117 people last month, could be bigger than previously suspected. Investigators have found that rooms were booked to lodge 110 aspirants in Digha, West Bengal, around the same time, indicating efforts “to compromise” more seats, Odisha police have said.
According to the Odisha Crime Branch — the agency investigating the case — it appears that aspirants were likely being taken to Digha to coach them on “selected questions”.
This finding comes a fortnight after an anonymous phone call on September 30 tipped the police off about a possible paper leak in the exam scheduled for October 5 and 6. Based on this, police intercepted three buses carrying 114 aspirants to Hyderabad for intensive coaching on the question paper.
“While the 114 candidates were taken to Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh (in three buses) to give them intensive coaching on selected questions, rooms were booked for 110 aspirants in Digha in West Bengal. The plan was to reach Digha by the evening of September 30,” Crime Branch Director General Vinaytosh Mishra said.
By then, however, the “racket” had already been busted, with police now investigating the role of an “organised crime syndicate”.
Four more people were arrested in connection with the case on Thursday, taking the total number of arrests to 123. Police identified them as Muna Mohanty, 32, Srikanta Maharana, 34, T Abhimanyu Dora, 49, and Priyadarshini Samal, 25.
“We have already arrested the middleman — Arabinda Das — who was looking after the Digha module. We have got some provisional certificates from Das, which are being probed,” Mishra said.
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While Mohanty was allegedly assigned to carry out the operations in Vizianagaram with help from Maharana and Dora, Samal was arrested for alleged “destruction of evidence”.
Investigators believe instructions allegedly came from Sankar Prusty, director of Bhubaneswar-based Panchsoft Technologies Pvt Ltd — the private entity engaged as a sub-contractor in the examination process. The company has since been sealed.
“Prusty is the leader of the syndicate and operates through his agents to escape scrutiny. He was actively monitoring the operations while his agents contacted aspiring candidates, collected original certificates and blank cheques. The certificates and blank cheques were to be returned after the deal amount — Rs 20 to 25 lakh — was paid,” Mishra said.
Prusty is allegedly on the run and multiple teams are looking for him across India, sources said. Asked if government officials are suspected to be involved, Mishra remained vague, saying only that “appropriate action would be taken against everyone found involved”.
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The bust led the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) to postpone the exam indefinitely, citing “unforeseen” circumstances. Around 1.53 lakh people had applied for 933 police sub-inspector posts, with officials saying the exam will be held once the probe concludes.
