The Odisha Crime Branch arrested four more individuals, including a woman, on Friday for their alleged roles in a large-scale police recruitment scam. Among those arrested is Muna Mohanty (32), a key associate of the scam’s alleged mastermind, Shankar Prusty, who remains at large.
The other arrested individuals include Srikant Maharana (34), Abhimanyu Dora (49), and Soumya Priyadarshini (25). These arrests bring the total number of people apprehended to 123, which includes 114 job aspirants.
Crime Branch investigators have now turned their attention to a Bhubaneswar-based private firm, suspected of being deeply involved in the conspiracy. This company had received a subcontract from a Kolkata-based Central PSU, which was officially selected by the Odisha police to conduct the recruitment test through a formal tender. However, the Bhubaneswar firm allegedly passed on the sensitive task of question preparation and printing to a third company run by Prusty, violating protocols.
“We’ve found strong evidence linking the Bhubaneswar company, Prusty’s firm, and the middlemen in a criminal conspiracy. All involved parties will face action,” a Crime Branch official stated, while avoiding direct comments on possible involvement of Odisha police personnel.
Crime Branch DG Vinaytosh Mishra disclosed that the arrested middlemen lured candidates across the state, offering them police sub-inspector jobs in exchange for bribes of Rs20 to Rs25 lakh per candidate. Mishra revealed that both Prusty and Mohanty are believed to have accumulated large amounts of illegal wealth through similar scams in past government recruitments.
“Prusty has a known criminal background, and both he and Mohanty were living lavishly,” Mishra added. Interestingly, sources claim that Mohanty, a school dropout, posed as an Income Tax officer to impress his fiancée.
Meanwhile, the Crime Branch is on the lookout for 110 more candidates suspected of bribing their way into the recruitment process. Unlike the 114 earlier arrested in Andhra Pradesh on September 29, these 110 had gathered in Digha, West Bengal, and fled upon hearing of the arrests.
While no wrongdoing has yet been proven against the Central PSU, the probe highlights serious lapses in oversight during the recruitment process.
