Bhubaneswar: In a significant development in the ongoing Police Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment scam investigation, the Odisha Crime Branch conducted a raid on Thursday at the ‘Vanik Coaching Centre’ near CRP Square in Bhubaneswar.
The operation was initiated based on credible intelligence that the institute may have facilitated malpractices during the recruitment process. Officials are investigating serious allegations that the centre was involved in “exam fixing” and providing candidates with unfair advantages, potentially manipulating the selection through illegal means.
The probe has also widened to examine the alleged connections between the owner of Vanik and Shankar Prusty, the chief of Panchsoft, who is already under the scanner in the same case. Reports suggest that several candidates who travelled to Andhra Pradesh in connection with the scam had affiliations with the coaching institute.
Emphasizing the seriousness of the investigation, DSP Narendra Behera of the Crime Branch stated, “We are conducting a detailed inquiry and reviewing the centre’s records from the last five years. A scam is a scam; there is no small or big.” He added that the focus is on identifying all involved individuals to uncover the mastermind behind the operation, ensuring fairness for honest job aspirants.
The findings from this raid are anticipated to expose the depth of malpractice within Odisha’s competitive exam coaching industry, raising urgent concerns about the integrity of state-level recruitment processes.
