Bhubaneswar: Khurda Police have busted a Agniveers recruitment scam in Odisha with the arrest of three people, including two serving naval officials.
Those arrested have been identified as Satyam Chahar, working at INS Kesari, Andaman and Nicobar, Vinay Kumar Ray, posted at INS Chilika, and a Uttar Pradesh resident Bhoosan, who was sacked by the Navy. They are accused of extorting money from candidates, seeking jobs in the Indian Navy as Agniveers.
The arrests were made on the basis of an FIR registered at Balugaon police station on April 19.
“During routine surveillance operations, coinciding with the ongoing Agniveer recruitment process, INS Chilka detected suspicious activity indicating a possible monetary demand from a candidate. Acting promptly, the Navy surveillance team identified a potential suspect and shared the intelligence with Odisha police authorities of Balugaon police station. Based on this input, the police successfully apprehended the accused. The Indian Navy is extending full cooperation to the police in the ongoing investigation,” INS Chilka said in a press release.
Khurda SP Sagarika Nath told reporters that the accused persons extorted a huge amount of money from Agniveer aspirants who appeared in the examination held between April 7 and April 19 by promising them assistance in police verification, physical examination, and securing a job.
Police have seized several transaction proofs and bank documents during the course of their investigation.
As per intelligence inputs, two more persons are suspected to be involved in the racket. Police have so far frozen 12 bank accounts linked to the fraudulent activities.
