Prusty’s close aide arrested in SI job scam

Bhubaneswar: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police on Wednesday arrested one more associate of Sankar Prusty, the prime accused in the Odisha Police Sub-Inspector recruitment scam case.

Calling the arrest a breakthrough, the Odisha Police revealed that the Crime Branch team has arrested Sagar Kumar Gouda (22), resident of Balipada, in Ganjam district, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the large-scale organised criminal conspiracy involving the adoption of unfair means in the Combined Police Service Examination (CPSE)-2024.

The police further informed that Gouda, who is presently residing at MKCG Medical Campus, at Baidyanathpur in Berhampur, is identified as a close aide of the key accused Prusty. During the investigation, the Crime Branch found that Gouda played a pivotal role in overseeing the operations of the Balasore module, a key wing of the organised criminal network involved in the recruitment scam. “Acting on the instructions of the main accused, Prusty, Gouda coordinated logistical arrangements and ensured the execution of the plan on the ground,” stated the Odisha Police. The police also came to know that Gouda had visited Digha in West Bengal on September 29, where hotel accommodations had been booked by another key accused, Aravinda Das, for the aspiring candidates. As per the plan, he was to operate and oversee the secret activities at Digha in direct connivance with Prusty. The Odisha Police has so far arrested 126 people, including prime accused Prusty, and 114 aspiring candidates, in this case.

Prusty, who owned Panchsoft Technologies, a company that got a part of the contract to conduct the recruitment test, has claimed that the scam involved irregularities worth Rs 1,000 crore, and he “surrendered” to unmask those involved in the conspiracy.

In a significant development, the Centre, acting upon the request of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, on Tuesday ordered a CBI probe into the multi-crore scam.