Bhubaneswar, Nov 13: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has formally launched its probe into the multi-crore Odisha Police Sub Inspector (SI) recruitment scam, marking a new phase in one of the state’s biggest examination-related controversies, officials said on Thursday.

The case was registered on Wednesday, and the investigation has been entrusted to a senior officer of the rank of Additional Superintendent of Police. Sources said the CBI has already sought all case-related documents and evidence from the Odisha Crime Branch, which had been handling the matter until now.

The Union government, acting on the recommendation of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, issued a notification on November 11 transferring the case to the CBI. The move followed growing concerns that the scam’s roots may extend beyond Odisha, with possible links to Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, and indications of an inter-state organised criminal network.

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The scam first came to light on September 29 when Odisha Police intercepted three buses in Andhra Pradesh, arresting 114 aspirants and three middlemen. The Crime Branch later took over the investigation, registering a separate case on October 1. Since then, 126 people have been arrested, including the alleged mastermind Sankar Prusty and his associates Muna Mohanty, Srikanta Maharana alias Rinku, and Arabinda Das.

Investigations revealed that the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) had outsourced the conduct of the Combined Police Service Examination (CPSE)-2024 to ITI Limited, which further sublet the work to Silicon Tech Pvt. Ltd. The latter engaged Panchsoft Technologies Pvt. Ltd., where Prusty was a director, to manage crucial stages of the examination process.

The irregularities in the CPSE-2024, scheduled for October 5 and 6, 2025, have raised serious questions about transparency in recruitment. With the CBI now taking charge, the probe is expected to uncover deeper networks and ensure accountability.