Bhubaneswar, 19 December (H.S.) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday commenced a four-day custodial interrogation of three key accused in connection with the Odisha Police Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment examination scam, following permission granted by a special CBI court.

According to sources, the accused—prime suspect Shankar Prusty and his alleged associates, Suresh and Sagar—were taken on remand from Jharpada Jail in Bhubaneswar as the agency intensified its probe into the alleged large-scale irregularities in the recruitment process.

Investigators said the custodial interrogation will focus on tracing financial transactions, uncovering operational linkages, and identifying the involvement of intermediaries suspected of manipulating the examination system. The CBI is examining allegations of transactions involving substantial sums of money linked to the recruitment exercise.

The agency is also probing the role of Silicon Tech Lab, which was allegedly responsible for printing the question papers and managing their transportation to examination centres. Investigators are seeking to determine how the question papers may have been accessed, transmitted, or compromised during this phase.

As part of the investigation, the CBI plans to conduct face-to-face questioning of Shankar Prusty and Suresh to establish the division of responsibilities, methods used to contact candidates, and whether examination logistics were misused for unlawful gain.

Sagar, described by investigators as a close associate and caretaker of Shankar, is also being questioned regarding his alleged role in coordinating activities linked to specific examination centres, including one at Digha.

Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda