The Odisha Crime Branch arrested five individuals in Bolangir for allegedly using forged matriculation certificates to obtain Grameen Dak Sevak (GDS) positions in the postal department. The accused—Kulamani Rana, Ajaudin Kumbhar, Rajat Kumar Naik, Sudhir Bhue, and Tophan Bag—were detained following an investigation into fraudulent activities during the 2023 recruitment cycle.
This arrest is part of a larger crackdown on document forgery across Odisha. Authorities uncovered a network providing fake certificates, reportedly charging candidates between Rs 50,000 and Rs 5,00,000 through a coaching centre in Bolangir. These certificates boasted inflated marks as high as 98-100%, but recruits still struggled with basic language tests in English and Odia, raising red flags.
Earlier probes resulted in the arrest of 20 others, including the key accused Abhijeet Kumar Bhakat. Given the scam’s multi-state reach, the postal department has called for a CBI investigation. The central agency has already conducted searches in several Odisha districts, including Bhubaneswar, Kalahandi, and Keonjhar, seizing digital and forged documents.
The investigation is ongoing, with more arrests anticipated as authorities work to dismantle this fraudulent recruitment racket. This case highlights the urgent need for stricter verification processes in government job recruitments.
