Argus News - Centre Gives Nod For CBI Probe Into Odisha Police SI Recruitment Scam

Bhubaneswar, Nov 11: The Centre has granted permission to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the alleged irregularities and corruption in the Odisha Police Sub-Inspector recruitment examination, officials said on Tuesday.

The decision follows a recommendation by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi after the state’s Crime Branch arrested 125 people in connection with the case.

Centre Approves Probe

A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office confirmed that the Centre has accepted the CM’s request and ordered a CBI investigation. “It is suspected that the roots of corruption are spread to Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and other states. There is also suspicion of the involvement of inter-state organised criminal gangs,” the statement said.

How the Scam Unfolded

The Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) had outsourced the conduct of the Combined Police Service Examination (CPSE) 2024 for 933 sub-inspector posts to PSU ITI Ltd. The work was further sub-contracted to Bhubaneswar-based Silicon Techlab, which in turn assigned key responsibilities to Panchsoft Technologies.

Irregularities came to light on September 29 when 114 aspirants and three suspected brokers were intercepted at the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border while heading to a “special coaching” centre in Vijayanagaram. Each aspirant had allegedly paid Rs 10 lakh upfront to the racket, with another Rs 25 lakh promised after securing jobs.

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Arrests and Mastermind

Police later arrested more brokers along with the alleged mastermind, Sankar Prusty, owner of Panchsoft Technologies. Prusty claimed the scam was worth Rs 1,000 crore and said he surrendered to expose the wider conspiracy. Another batch of 110 candidates was scheduled for similar coaching in West Bengal’s Digha on September 30, but the plan was foiled after police action in Berhampur.

Scope of CBI Investigation

The CBI will now probe the attempts, inducements, and conspiracies behind the scam, examining the involvement of interstate networks and organized gangs. The investigation is expected to uncover the full extent of corruption and restore credibility to the recruitment process.