Bhubaneswar, 2 November (H.S.): The Crime Branch of Odisha Police has officially confirmed the seizure of a passport, a Fortuner SUV, and two iPhones from Shankar Prusty, the alleged mastermind of the Odisha Police Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment scam. The agency made the disclosure through a press release issued on Sunday.
In a major breakthrough, the CID Crime Branch arrested Shankar Prusty, aged 32, son of Panchanan Prusty, a resident of Jagannathpur Junction, SBI Road, Defence Colony (J-Line) under Chamka Handi Police Station in Ganjam district. Prusty, the Director of Panchsoft Technologies Pvt. Ltd., based in Patia, Bhubaneswar, is accused of orchestrating the large-scale recruitment scam along with his associates — Muna Mohanty, Srikanta Maharana alias Rinku, Arabinda Das, T. Abhimanyu Dora, and Priyadarsini Samal.
According to the Crime Branch, a team led by DSP Smt. Anila Anand had been closely tracking Prusty’s movements for weeks. The accused frequently changed his location to evade arrest but was finally traced and apprehended near the Indo-Nepal border in Uttarakhand.
He was produced before a local court and is being brought to Odisha on transit remand for further interrogation.
During the course of the investigation, the Crime Branch seized several incriminating materials, including a Toyota Fortuner (registration number OD07AU9777), two iPhones, a Lava mobile phone, an Indian passport, and several documents related to the case.
Officials said that these materials are being examined as part of the ongoing probe to unravel the full extent of the conspiracy and the network behind the fraudulent recruitment racket.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
