Bhubaneswar: The Crime Branch has arrested the principal associate and close aide of the prime accused, Shankar Prusty, in connection with a large-scale organised criminal conspiracy involving the use of unfair means in the Combined Police Service Examination (CPSE)-2024.
The arrested accused has been identified as Sagar Kumar Gouda (22), a resident of Balipada village under Berhampur Sadar police limits in Ganjam district. He was presently staying at Qtr No. F1, MKCG Medical Campus under Baidyanathpur police station limits in Berhampur.
According to the Crime Branch, Gouda played a key role in supervising the entire operation of the Balasore Module. Acting on the directions of Shankar Prusty, he handled logistical arrangements and ensured the smooth execution of the illegal plan.
Investigations further revealed that Gouda had visited Digha on September 29, where hotel rooms had been booked by Aravinda Das for the candidates involved. As per the plan, Gouda was tasked with operating and monitoring the secret operations at Digha in direct coordination with Prusty.
Investigations also revealed that Gouda had been working closely with Prusty, handling several aspects of the exam malpractice racket.
With this latest arrest, the total number of persons nabbed in connection with the case has risen to 126.
Meanwhile, the Central Government on Tuesday approved a CBI probe into the Police Sub-Inspector recruitment exam scam following a recommendation from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. The CM cited the involvement of an inter-state organised syndicate and the spread of corruption to multiple states, including Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, as reasons for seeking the central agency’s intervention.
