Bhubaneswar, Nov 2: In a major breakthrough, Shankar Prusty, the alleged mastermind behind the Odisha Police Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment scam, was brought to Bhubaneswar after being arrested near the Nepal border in Uttarakhand.

Shankar, who had been absconding for over a month, was tracked down by the Crime Branch following extensive surveillance.

He is accused of orchestrating the large-scale irregularities in the SI recruitment process, including question paper leaks and illegal monetary transactions involving aspirants.

Upon arrival at the Bhubaneswar airport, Shankar briefly interacted with the media, claiming, “I have no links with anyone,” in an attempt to deny involvement.

He was immediately taken into custody under transit remand for further interrogation by the Crime Branch.

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Shankar arrest marks a significant development in the multi-crore scam that led to the postponement of the Combined Police Service Examination (CPSE) for 933 SI posts, affecting over 1.5 lakh applicants.

The Crime Branch is expected to conduct a detailed interrogation to uncover the full extent of the network behind the scam and identify other individuals involved.