Odisha Govt hands police recruitment scam probe to Crime Branch after 114 arrests

Facing widespread criticism for the police recruitment scam that led to the arrest of 114 job aspirants, the Odisha Government has handed over the investigation of the much-publicized scam to the crime branch wing of the state police.

The written test of the Combined Police Service Examination, 2024, was scheduled to be held on October 5 and 6, but was postponed by the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) after 117 job aspirants, including three middlemen, were arrested in Berhampur.

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The arrested aspirants had allegedly paid Rs 10 lakh in advance to a racket for securing jobs. The accused persons were apprehended while they were on the way to a ‘special coaching centre’ in Andhra Pradesh.

Ironically, the latest unsavory episode happens to be the fourth cancellation of recruitment examinations in the state since July last year amid reports of a series of discrepancies, including paper leak.

As many as 1.53 lakh candidates have applied for 933 police sub-inspector posts. The exam, which was earlier scheduled to be held on 8 and 9 March, was postponed and rescheduled on 5 and 6 October.

The latest postponement of the recruitment exam has left the meritorious job aspirants disillusioned and deeply upset, with many of them nurturing the belief that merit is being relegated to the rear by those at the helm of conducting such competitive examinations.

The Crime Branch has been entrusted with the probe, keeping in view the fact that an agency based in Andhra Pradesh is allegedly involved in the scam. The investigation, headed by an officer of deputy superintendent rank, has already gotten underway. Those who perpetrated the scam will not be spared regardless of their stature or position.

“In exercise of powers conferred under Police Manual Rules- PMR-410(A), I assume full control over the investigation of Golanthara PS Case No. 447 dated 30.09.2025 under Sections 319(2), 318(4), 338, 336(3), 340(2), 111, 81(2), and 3(5) of the BNS, read with Sections 11(1), 3, and 12(1) of the Odisha Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and hereby depute Ratnaprava Satpathy, OPS, DSP, CID Crime Branch, Cuttack, to take up the investigation of this case and all other related cases with immediate effect,” the order issued by the Director General of Police, CID, CB, Odisha, Cuttack, Vinaytosh Mishra stated.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Biju Janata Dal and Congress, slamming the BJP government, alleged that the ruling party has resorted to selling jobs to the highest bidders since it came to power last year. The Crime Branch probe will do little to unmask the scammers involved in the police recruitment, as the scam owes its roots to Andhra Pradesh. In order to maintain transparency and probity of investigation, the CBI should be asked to probe the scam, the Opposition parties said.

The Opposition parties further claimed that as many as 16 recruitment examinations have been cancelled in the last 15 months after lapses were detected. Such a disturbing trend not only deeply hurts the psyche of the job aspirants but it also leads one to believe that “jobs-for-cash’ has become a salient feature of governance by the BJP in Odisha, further charged the Opposition.

“These people are playing cruel jokes on those who are toiling day and night to get a government job. Top officials and politicians have joined hands with scammers to ‘kill’ our future in this age of growing unemployment. Unless higher-ups are taken to task, the scam of this nature will go unabated as the merit of deserving candidates will be pushed to the background”, charged a cross-section of job seekers.