Bhubaneswar, Oct 23: In a shocking twist to the ongoing Odisha Police Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment scam, investigators have uncovered the meteoric rise of Shankar Prusty — a man who once worked as a tout in his village and is now accused of masterminding a multi-crore recruitment fraud. From humble beginnings as the son of a daily wage labourer, Shankar allegedly amassed wealth worth hundreds of crores through illicit means.

Lavish Lifestyle Built on Aspirants’ Dreams

Shankar is accused of collecting lakhs of rupees from job aspirants, promising them success in the SI recruitment exam. Using this money, he reportedly purchased high-value land in multiple locations, including prime plots at the Defence Colony of Raghunathpur near Chhatrapur in Ganjam district under his wife Deeptimayi’s name. Documents were seized by the Crime Branch.

He is also said to have driven luxury vehicles and transported cash in sacks disguised as vegetable bags. His gang, allegedly operating under political patronage, distributed money and ran a well-oiled network to manipulate recruitment processes.

Tech Firms Under Scrutiny

Shankar is listed as a director in Panchsoft Tech Lab Pvt. Ltd. and Silicon Nexus — companies now under investigation. A proposal to engage Panchsoft Silicon for exam-related services was reportedly marked “Out of Scope,” citing concerns over involvement in post-exam activities and result processing. The Crime Branch has submitted these findings to the High Court, alleging collusion between individuals from these firms and the scam.

Also Read: CM Majhi Orders CBI Probe Into Odisha Police SI Exam Scam

CBI to Take Over Probe

With 123 arrests already made, the Crime Branch has now handed over the investigation to the CBI. Shankar Prusty remains absconding, and his anticipatory bail plea has been rejected by the High Court.

Background of The SI Exam Scam 

Acting on a tip from the Chief Minister's Office, Golanthara police intercepted three buses near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border and arrested 114 candidates and three agents for their involvement in a sub-inspector exam paper leak scam.

The candidates were allegedly being transported to Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh to receive confidential question papers for the sub-inspector (SI) written examination.

According to sources, Each candidate had agreed to pay up to Rs25 lakh for the question papers, with Rs10 lakh paid upfront and the remaining Rs15 lakh to be paid after they were selected for the job.