Bhubaneswar: With the arrest of three key accused in the police sub-inspector (SI) recruitment scam in Odisha, the Crime Branch has uncovered a master plan through which the conspirators ran the job racket and manipulated over 300 posts.
Sources said investigation conducted so far has been able to unearth a massive question paper leak racket for the Combined Police Service Examination (CPSE)-2024 conducted by the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB).
Following several leads and the arrest of three associates of key conspirator Sankar Prusty, the Crime Branch has gathered vital information about the modus operandi of the racketeers. The three accused have been identified as Muna Mohanty, Srikant Maharana and Sukanta Maharana alias Rinku.
The investigators have pieced together the operations of alleged mastermind Sankar Prusty, exposing layers of bribery, certificate control, and logistical coordination that enabled aspirants to cheat their way into the police force.
As per Crime Branch Director General Vinaytosh Mishra, the scam was executed through a planned chain of operations.
Muna Mohanty of Kalapathara in Cuttack district has been identified as one of the key associates of Sankar Prusty. Despite having no stable source of income, Mohanty led a lavish life at Jagamara in Bhubaneswar. Police said he ran a crime syndicate along with his associates, Srikanta Maharana, Arabinda Das, Biswaranjan Behera, T Abhimanyu Dora, and Priyadarsini Samal, on the direction of Sankar Prusty, Director of Panchsoft Technologies Pvt Ltd in Bhubaneswar’s Patia.
Investigation showed that the gang allegedly breached government machinery and manipulated the examination process. Mohanty reportedly stayed away from the public eye while his agents collected original certificates and blank cheques from aspirants in exchange for leaked question papers. The deal allegedly cost each job aspirant between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 25 lakh.
Muna Mohanty and Srikanta Maharana designed the entire operation. Maharana was responsible for mobilising aspirants, arranging buses for travel to Vizianagaram, managing accommodation, and collecting documents.
It has been found that Mohanty booked three buses from KSN Tours & Travels in Bhubaneswar on September 27, paying Rs 2.3 lakh from his and his mother’s bank accounts. On September 29, he personally supervised the boarding of candidates from Khandagiri and sent agents along to monitor their activities en route to Vizianagaram.
The Crime Branch added that Priyadarsini Samal, who posed as Mohanty’s sister, played a crucial role in the network by collecting money, returning certificates, and helping the accused evade arrest.
After the police intercepted and detained several candidates before they reached Vizianagaram on September 29, the prime accused fled the city. They later took shelter at the farmhouse of T. Abhimanyu Dora in Dasapalla, Nayagarh district.
Dora, a close associate of Maharana, allegedly provided safe refuge to the absconding accused and passed them updates on police movements through Samal.
During the investigation, the Crime Branch seized a large amount of evidence, including lists of candidates and travel documents, payments to travel agencies, vehicles used in the operation (two tippers, one Scorpio, and one Mahindra Thar), cash amounting to Rs 1.2 lakh, and over 150 digital devices like mobile phones and laptops.
The technical evidence, bank transactions, and witness testimonies established the role of the accused.
Following the fresh arrests, the total number of people taken into custody in connection with the case has risen to 123.
The Crime Branch said that several teams are continuing the probe and trying to trace other key conspirators and uncover the full extent of the racket.
Notably, mastermind Sankar Prusty, head of Panchsoft, remains at large. He is suspected to have fled India via Nepal after the scam came to light and is reportedly hiding in Dubai.
Prusty, along with his wife deeptimayi Sahu, had filed anticipatory bail petitions, but authorities are coordinating with central agencies to track his location and plan extradition if necessary.
