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Sub-Inspector Recruitment Scam: The mastermind of the sub-inspector recruitment scam in Odisha was arrested from the India-Nepal border in Uttarakhand.
Sub-Inspector Recruitment Scam: The mastermind of the sub-inspector recruitment scam in Odisha was arrested from the India-Nepal border in Uttarakhand. Shankar Prusti was absconding for more than a month after the scam came to light on September 30. The police officer said that the accused was caught on Saturday with the help of Uttarakhand Police and brought to Bhubaneswar on transit remand on Sunday morning. A statement issued by the crime branch said that a team led by CBCID DSP Anila Anand was continuously following him. He was changing his place again and again. Finally the team found him and arrested him near Nepal border in Uttarakhand. Prusti is the owner of Punchsoft Technologies. The accused was given the contract to conduct written examination to fill 933 sub-inspector posts in police and other uniformed services. Along with this, a total of 124 people including 114 job seekers have been arrested in this scam worth crores of rupees.
Recruitment exam postponed after rigging was detected
However, the job seekers were released on bail two days ago. After his arrest, Prusti was taken from Delhi to Bhubaneswar. Officials said that from Bhubaneswar airport he was taken directly to the Crime Branch Headquarters in Cuttack for questioning. At the airport the accused said that he was not involved in any irregularities in any way. He said that he has no connection with Muna Mohanty or any accused person in this scam. I have already approached both the Orissa High Court and the Supreme Court for justice. Officials said that the recruitment exam in Odisha was to be held on October 5 and 6, but it was postponed after irregularities were detected. The irregularities came to light when 114 candidates and three suspected touts were arrested on the night of September 29 at the state border with Andhra Pradesh when they were on their way from Bhubaneswar to a special coaching center in Vizianagaram.
25 lakh rupees were to be paid after getting the job
OPRB had outsourced the work of conducting the Combined Police Services Examination (CPSE) 2024 to PSU ITI Limited, which further sub-contracted the work to Bhubaneswar-based Silicon Techlab. Silicon Techlab, in turn, handed over key responsibilities to Punchsoft Technologies, headed by Prusti. Police said that the arrested candidates had given Rs 10 lakh each to the racket and after getting the job, they had to pay another Rs 25 lakh. Police said that on September 30, 110 other candidates were to get similar coaching in Digha, West Bengal, located on the Odisha border, but it was canceled due to police action in Brahmapur. The state government has recommended a CBI investigation into this scam.
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