The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has intensified its crackdown on the Odisha police sub-inspector recruitment scandal, arresting a serving police constable and a middleman this Sunday. This development marks a significant escalation in the probe into the alleged paper leak racket surrounding the Combined Police Service Examination (CPSE) 2024.
Second Policeman Nabbed in Widening Probe
Constable Arjun Nayak (36) and middleman Nimain Charan Sahoo (33) were taken into custody by the federal agency. A local court subsequently sent both to judicial custody after rejecting their bail applications. With this arrest, Nayak becomes the second policeman to be ensnared in this sprawling case. Earlier, on October 4, the state crime branch had arrested Constable Biswa Ranjan Behera (29).
Sources within the investigation revealed that the CBI's action followed critical leads obtained from interrogating another key accused, middleman Biranchi Kumar Nayak (43), who was arrested on December 5. The agency has also detained another suspect from Bihar, indicating the inter-state ramifications of the scam.
Modus Operandi: Exploiting Trust for Money
According to CBI sources, the racketeers strategically recruited Arjun Nayak to leverage his position within the police force. His uniform and affiliation were used to gain the trust of aspiring candidates. Nayak, along with other gang members, allegedly approached these candidates with a fraudulent offer.
They promised access to the confidential question papers of the CPSE 2024 examination in exchange for substantial sums of money. This modus operandi preyed on the aspirations of thousands who seek a career in the state police.
A Scam of National Significance
The sheer scale of the scandal is underscored by the total number of arrests. So far, 128 individuals have been arrested in connection with this case. The breakdown of these arrests reveals the probe's trajectory:
- The case first erupted on September 30, when Berhampur police made a massive crackdown, arresting 117 people, which included 114 candidates.
- The state crime branch then took over the investigation, leading to the arrest of eight middlemen.
- The CBI entered the scene on November 12, following the scale and seriousness of the scam. The federal agency has made three arrests to date, including the latest ones.
The ongoing investigations by the CBI and state agencies suggest a determined effort to dismantle the entire network responsible for compromising the integrity of the police recruitment process in Odisha. The case highlights systemic vulnerabilities and has raised serious questions about the sanctity of competitive examinations for public service.
