Authorities in Odisha have apprehended a key figure in a widespread paper leak operation targeting the police sub-inspector recruitment examination. The Crime Investigation Department (CID) announced the arrest of four individuals, revealing an extensive racket that allegedly charged candidates hefty sums, ranging from ₹20 lakh to ₹25 lakh, for leaked question papers. This sophisticated operation was brought to light on September 30 when police intercepted three buses carrying 117 people near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border, en route to Hyderabad to obtain the leaked exam materials.
So far, a total of 123 people, comprising 114 candidates, have been taken into custody in connection with the scam. The investigation has identified Muna Mohanty as a central figure, operating a syndicate alongside Srikanta Maharana alias Rinku, Arabinda Das, Biswaranjan Behera, T Abhimanyu Dora, and Priyadarsini Samal. The police have identified Sankar Prusty as the main mastermind, who remains at large with his wife.
The Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) conducted the examination, outsourcing the task to ITI Limited. ITI, in turn, contracted Silicon Techlab Private Limited, which further subcontracted the work to Panchsoft Technologies Private Limited. Despite guidelines against outsourcing, the OPRB official cited the organization’s limited capacity as the reason for engaging ITI Limited, stating that investigations are underway to understand why the exam was subcontracted again.
According to CID Additional DG Vinaytosh Mishra, Mohanty and Prusty collaborated to leak question papers from the initial stages of their preparation. Mohanty’s agents allegedly collected original certificates and blank cheques from aspirants in exchange for the leaked papers, with Priyadarsini Samal reportedly playing a crucial role in managing finances and aiding evaders.
Further details reveal that Sankar Prusty operated several fake online test centers across Odisha, presumably to facilitate pre-exam manipulation and monitor candidates. The entire scam was reportedly divided into two modules: Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh, managed by Muna Mohanty, and Digha in West Bengal, headed by Arvind Das, with Prusty overseeing operations from Delhi. While 114 candidates headed for Vizianagaram have been arrested, an additional 110 candidates bound for Digha are currently absconding.
The CID has compiled lists of all involved individuals and anticipates further arrests upon completion of verification. Officials have noted that this leak highlights systemic vulnerabilities, as Odisha has seen at least three recruitment exam cancellations in the past decade due to irregularities, including a police constable recruitment test in 2015 and the Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) in 2019. Most recently, in July 2023, a junior engineer recruitment test was canceled following the exposure of a similar racket.
Political repercussions are also surfacing, with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leaders blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for administrative failures. BJD spokesman Dr Lenin Mohanty criticized the BJP government for perceived failures in conducting examinations smoothly. Conversely, Odisha BJP chief Manmohan Samal pointed to long-standing “institutional decay” during the BJD’s tenure, citing previous leaks in 2019 and 2023.