Bhubaneswar, Nov 2: In a major breakthrough, the Odisha Crime Branch has arrested Shankar Prusty, the alleged mastermind behind the Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment scam, from the Nepal-Uttarakhand border. Prusty had been evading arrest by altering his appearance and using forged documents, but was finally tracked down by a dedicated team and brought to Bhubaneswar for interrogation.

Key Accused in Multi-Crore Racket

Shankar Prusty, director of Panchsoft Technologies Pvt. Ltd., is accused of orchestrating a large-scale recruitment racket involving fake candidates, manipulated exam logistics, and forged documentation. He faces multiple serious charges under IPC sections 319(2), 318(4), 338/336(3), 340(2), 111/61(2), and 3(5). The Crime Branch seized a Fortune SUV, two iPhones, and a passport from his possession.

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Nexus of Collaborators

Prusty allegedly operated in collaboration with Munna Mohanty, Srikanth Maharana, Aravind Das, and former BJD leader Abhimanyu Dora. The group reportedly arranged transport and accommodation for hundreds of fake candidates across modules in Vijayawada and Digha. Deals worth Rs25 lakh per candidate were allegedly struck, revealing the scale of the operation.

Interrogation and Wider Probe

Shankar and Munna Mohanty were interrogated face-to-face at the Crime Branch office. Investigators uncovered links between Panchsoft and Silicon Techlab, which were allegedly used to manipulate manpower and exam logistics. The scam may soon be handed over to the CBI for deeper investigation into the wider network.

The arrest marks a significant step in unraveling one of Odisha’s most high-profile recruitment scams, with more arrests and revelations expected in the coming days.