Odisha Police Sub-Inspector (SI) Recruitment Exam Scam. file photo
Jagran correspondent, Bhubaneswar. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a 60-page preliminary chargesheet in the Odisha Police Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment exam scam. This charge sheet has exposed large-scale manipulation and serious systemic failures in the conduct of examinations. The chargesheet names 16 accused, which is supported by statements of 120 witnesses and 171 pieces of evidence.
According to CBI, serious irregularities were committed in the preparation and printing of question papers. Silicon Techlab Pvt Ltd, the third party agency appointed for logistics support, allegedly went beyond its scope. The company's managing director Suresh Nayak is accused of manipulating the question paper process.
Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) was entrusted with the responsibility of preparing and printing the question paper, while Silicon Tech was entrusted with only the logistics work like CCTV installation, manpower deployment and vehicle arrangement. Despite this, on the instructions of Suresh Nayak, the question papers were printed at Saraswati Printing Press in Kolkata.
How did the scam game start?
The chargesheet states that the OPRB had initially decided to print only one set of question papers, but Suresh Nayak advised to print an additional set. OPRB officials accepted the proposal and permitted the printing of the alternative set.
During this process, Suresh Nayak allegedly replaced the alternate set with the main set and got it printed, which made the manipulation possible. The printed question papers were later kept in the strong room of the 6th Battalion in Cuttack.
CBI has raised serious questions on the role of OPRB and asked why its officials did not examine the sealed question paper packets. OPRB Superintendent of Police Balbhadra Deep and Section Officer Gautam Prasad Behera were interrogated, but the investigating agency did not get satisfactory answers.
The investigating agency is also probing why the question papers were printed in Kolkata and how Silicon Tech was allowed to influence important decisions like printing multiple sets. The CBI is investigating whether OPRB officials were deliberately negligent or failed to recognize the conspiracy despite clear warning signs.
Scam mastermind Shankar Prusty revealed
CBI has named Shankar Prusty, owner of Punchsoft Technologies, as the mastermind of this scam. Although the tender was awarded to Silicon Tech through ITI Limited, the actual work was illegally sub-contracted to Punchsoft, unbeknownst to the authorities.
Prusty is accused of obtaining question papers much before the examination and making deals with candidates through middlemen like Arabinda Das, Muna Mohanty, Dharmendra Pradhan and Trinath Jena. A demand of Rs 25 lakh per candidate was made in exchange for selection as Police SI.
As part of the conspiracy, 114 candidates were sent to Andhra Pradesh, while several others were arranged to be sent to Digha and Mandarmani in West Bengal before the examination. The investigation also revealed that original certificates of the candidates who had made the payment were collected.
This scam became possible only because the question paper was leaked. If OPRB officials were responsible for this, then a serious question arises as to how the question papers were leaked. There should be a fair and thorough investigation into this aspect,” said former DSP Sharat Chandra Sahu.
Chargesheet against 16 accused
CBI has filed a charge sheet in this case against a total of 16 accused including Shankar Prusti, Suresh Nayak, Muna Mohanty, Vishwa Ranjan Behera, Arabinda Das, Priyadarshini Samal, Sagar Gaur, Biranchi Nayak, Arjun Nayak and Nitish Kumar.
The witnesses include the accused candidates and their families, bus staff carrying the candidates, managers and employees of hotels in West Bengal, and officials involved in the recruitment process.
However, chargesheet has not yet been filed against Amit Bharti, who was arrested from Bihar. CBI has indicated that names of more people may also come to light as the investigation progresses.