Bhubaneswar: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bhubaneswar Zonal Office, has conducted a search operation at 12 premises located in Odisha and West Bengal between October 9, 10 and 12, in connection with the leakage of the question paper of the Sub Inspector Recruitment Exam-2024 in Odisha, the agency informed on Wednesday.
The searches were carried out at the premises of M/s Silicon Techlab Private Limited, M/s Panchsoft Technologies Private Limited, M/s PSIL International Limited, their directors and other associates. During the searches, the ED sleuths unearthed and seized various incriminating documents, electronic devices and records under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The seized materials are under further examination.
The case dates back to October 2025, when Odisha Police registered an FIR after intercepting three buses carrying 114 SI recruitment candidates near Ichhapuram on September 30 last year.
The case was later taken over by the CBI. Candidates were also allegedly asked to pay Rs 15 lakh to Rs 30 lakh each for leaked question papers. The exam was scheduled for October 5–6, 2025, the ED said.
The ED found that the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) assigned the examination to Central PSU ITI Limited, which subsequently outsourced the work to Bhubaneswar-based Silicon Techlab Private Limited (STPL).
However, STPL, through its director Suresh Chandra Nayak, allegedly sublet the work of handling sensitive candidate information to Panchsoft Technology Private Limited without the written permission of ITI Limited, in connivance with Panchsoft Technology’s director Sankar Prusty.
“Subsequently, the persons linked with Silicon Techlab and Sankar Prusty approached the candidates and lured them with the promise of providing the confidential information of the exam paper in place of money and mobilised them,” the ED noted.
The sleuths came across a set of transactions between accused Prusty and STPL even before the commencement of the SI Recruitment Exam-2024 process, which shows their connivance. It is also revealed that PSIL International Limited (formerly Patnaik Steel International Limited) and its directors, Sameer Rath and wife Saswati Mishra, acquired a majority stake in Silicon Techlab under a purported share purchase agreement dated August 5, 2023, which is under further examination.
“Investigation revealed that the said agreement was never submitted before the Registrar of Companies by either of the two companies,” ED stated.
The agency found that despite PSIL directors acquiring a controlling stake and management control of STPL, Nayak remained its director and corresponded with ITI Limited on the SI examination without authorisation.
Despite knowing that Nayak was handling the examination work without authorisation, Sameer Rath and Swasti Mishra did not inform ITI Limited. Subsequently, Nayak unauthorisedly accessed the examination papers.
“Investigations and searches conducted so far have unearthed the role of companies/entities which have so far remained outside the investigative net of agencies. Further, searches have also revealed the possible role of other persons, including those associated with OPRB & other companies/ entities. Such entities are intricately linked with the entire examination cycle,” ED added.
The agency concluded on the basis of evidence collected during searches that the question paper was leaked in an organised manner, generating substantial proceeds of crime through cash collected from candidates.
(IANS)
