Bhubaneswar: In a major breakthrough in the ongoing Odisha Police Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment scam, the Crime Branch on Sunday raided and sealed a fake online examination centre operating under the name ‘Shree Lingaraja Infosol’ at Raghunathpur in Bhubaneswar.
According to a Crime Branch official, the institute was allegedly involved in facilitating malpractice in the SI recruitment examination.
“Based on intelligence inputs, we verified the activities of this institute. Upon confirmation of its involvement, we sealed the premises and directed the local police to trace the owner. Anyone found linked to the scam will face strict legal action,” the official said.
A special investigation team led by DSP Ratnaprava Satpathy is spearheading the probe.
“This centre is one of the links in the larger scam. Several aspects are still under investigation,” the official added.
The Crime Branch also revealed that Shankar Prusty, a key suspect in the scam, was frequently visiting the centre to influence the examination process. Evidence indicates his active role in coordinating with aspirants and collecting money under false promises of assistance.
Crime Branch have identified multiple fake centres across Odisha and have prepared a list for subsequent raids and sealing.
The scam surfaced following the arrest of 117 persons on September 30 by Berhampur Police, acting on joint intelligence with the Crime Branch. Investigations further revealed the involvement of a private agency based in Andhra Pradesh, which was reportedly transporting candidates to Srikakulam to fraudulently participate in the recruitment process.
