In a significant bust targeting exam malpractice, the Odisha Police have arrested 117 people, among them 114 aspirants for the sub-inspector position, on charges of cheating, forgery, and fraud. The arrests were made in Ganjam district following a crackdown on a syndicate allegedly involved in sabotaging the Odisha Police Recruitment Board’s examination, scheduled for October 5-6.
The operation was initiated after the police received credible information about irregularities. Three agents were also taken into custody as part of the coordinated effort. Authorities have registered a case at the Golanthara police station under various sections of the BNS and the Odisha Public Examination Act, 2024.
According to a statement from the Odisha Police, a team intercepted three AC sleeper buses near the Andhra Pradesh border. Upon checking, it was discovered that 114 of the 117 passengers were candidates preparing for the sub-inspector examination. The suspicious circumstances led to a thorough investigation, revealing that these candidates had traveled from Bhubaneswar to an undisclosed location in Vijayanagaram with the intention of obtaining the question paper before the exam.
The arrested candidates had reportedly agreed to pay ₹25 lakh each for this fraudulent scheme, with an initial payment of ₹10 lakh and the remaining ₹15 lakh to be paid upon securing the job. Police investigations indicate that more agents might be involved in this organized crime, which aimed to compromise the integrity of the recruitment process.
Following these developments, the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) announced the postponement of the sub-inspector recruitment examination previously scheduled for October 5-6. New dates for the examination will be communicated later.
Expressing concern over the repeated postponements, the Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik commented on what he described as a “systemic failure” within the examination process.
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