Bhubaneswar: In a major breakthrough in its probe into the Police Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment exam scam, the Odisha Crime Branch has arrested Sagar Kumar Gouda, a close aide of the main accused Shankar Prusty.
Police said Gouda, who hails from Balipada in Ganjam district and was a resident of the MKCG Medical College campus in Berhampur, played a major role in the scandal.
Gouda, aged around 22 years,played a key role in executing the fraudulent scheme linked to the Combined Police Service Examination (CPSE)-2024, the Crime Branch said.
Acting on instructions from Pusty, he supervised operations under the ‘Balasore Module’, which was one of the centres of the organised conspiracy.
Investigators revealed that Gouda handled the logistical and ground-level arrangements for the cheating network. He reportedly travelled to Digha on September 29, where hotel accommodations had been booked by another accused, Arabinda Das, to facilitate candidates involved in the malpractice.
Gouda’s role was to oversee the “secret operations” at Digha, working in direct coordination with Prusty.
Gouda was deeply involved in multiple aspects of the illegal activities, including coordination, communication, and logistical support for the main accused and his associates.
With this latest arrest, the total number of people arrested in connection with the police SI recruitment exam scam has risen to 126.