Bhubaneswar: The Centre has approved the investigation into the Police Sub-Inspector recruitment exam scam by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The decision was taken after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi recommended the CBI probe into the alleged scam, citing the involvement of an inter-state organised criminal syndicate and the spread of corruption to multiple states, including Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
The recruitment exam, which was conducted by the Odisha Police Recruitment Board for 933 Sub-Inspector posts, drew over 1.53 lakh applicants. However, allegations of widespread irregularities and corruption led to the exam being postponed indefinitely.
The Crime Branch of the Odisha Police, which initially investigated the case, arrested 123 people, including 114 aspirants. The investigation revealed that the scam’s tentacles extended beyond Odisha, involving organised criminal gangs across multiple states.
The CBI will now investigate the attempt, incitement, and conspiracy related to the corruption. A notification issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions states that the central government has extended the powers and jurisdiction of the CBI to Odisha for the investigation.
“The consent is also accorded for investigation of attempts, abetments and conspiracies in relation to or in connection with the offences in the said case and any other offences committed in the course of same transaction arising out of the same facts,” the notification read.
