In a major breakthrough in the Odisha Police Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment exam scam, the Crime Branch has arrested Suresh Nayak, owner of Bhubaneswar-based Silicon Techlab, after a prolonged interrogation. Nayak will be produced in court today alongside Shankar Prusty, the alleged mastermind of the scam.
The controversial SI recruitment test was initially awarded to ITI Limited, a Kolkata-based central public sector undertaking. ITI Limited subcontracted responsibilities to Silicon Techlab, which further delegated key work to Panchsoft Technologies, also based in Bhubaneswar.
Earlier, Shankar Prusty, owner of Panchsoft Technologies and a native of Ganjam district, was arrested near the Nepal border in Uttarakhand. He had been attempting to flee to Dubai and evading arrest for weeks. Prusty was brought on transit remand to Bhubaneswar and immediately questioned by the Crime Branch.
Investigations revealed that Prusty and his associates, including Muna Mohanty (arrested October 17 from Dasapalla, Nayagarh district), Srikanta Maharana alias Rinku, Arabinda Das, Biswaranjan Behera, T. Abhimanyu Dora, and Priyadarsini Samal, systematically manipulated the SI recruitment process. Each of 114 aspirants allegedly paid between Rs20 lakh and Rs25 lakh to gain access to leaked question papers.
Muna Mohanty, despite lacking a steady income, reportedly led a lavish lifestyle in Bhubaneswar’s Jagamara area, highlighting the scale and sophistication of the racket. The Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) had postponed the exams scheduled for October 5 and 6 following the arrests of candidates involved.
Police sources say the network compromised the fairness of the recruitment process, severely eroding public trust. Amid rising political pressure, the Odisha government has recommended a CBI probe into the multi-crore scam, which is suspected to have interstate links.
