Bhubaneswar, 1 October (H.S.): In a major crackdown on organised exam malpractice, Odisha Police on Wednesday arrested 117 persons, including 114 candidates and three agents, for their alleged involvement in a racket to sabotage the upcoming Sub-Inspector recruitment examination conducted by the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB).
According to a press release issued by Odisha Police, Berhampur Police acted on confidential intelligence and intercepted three AC sleeper buses near the Andhra Pradesh border. On verification, it was found that 114 passengers on board had applied for the Sub-Inspector exam, raising suspicion. Further investigation revealed that they had boarded from Bhubaneswar’s Baramunda area and were headed to an undisclosed location in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, under the guidance of three agents.
The probe found that the agents, operating on behalf of a wider network, had conspired to procure the confidential question papers in Vizianagaram and return to Bhubaneswar to appear for the exam. Each candidate had reportedly agreed to pay ₹25 lakh — with ₹10 lakh as an advance and the remaining ₹15 lakh after securing the job.
“Preliminary enquiry suggests this was part of an organised crime involving multiple agents and intermediaries,” the release stated. An FIR has been registered at Golanthara Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and The Odisha Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
All 117 accused have been taken into custody and will be produced before court. Police said further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend other persons linked to the racket.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
