NPN

A major scam has been uncovered ahead of the Odisha Sub-Inspector recruitment exam. Police have arrested 117 people involved in the scam, including 114 candidates and three agents. Police issued a written statement on Wednesday detailing the entire matter. How was it revealed? Police received information from a confidential source that large-scale irregularities were being committed in the upcoming SI exam being conducted by the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB). Acting on this information, Berhampur police acted swiftly and stopped three AC sleeper buses near the Andhra Pradesh border. Investigation revealed that the buses were carrying a total of 117 people, 114 of whom were candidates who had applied for the SI exam. Three agents were also present with them. Investigation revealed that all these candidates had boarded three buses from Baramunda in Bhubaneswar and were being taken to a secret location in Vijayanagaram, Andhra Pradesh, where they were promised a secret exam question paper. Agents had promised to leak the question paper in advance. In this conspiracy, the agents promised to leak the question paper in advance, allowing candidates to pass the exam without much effort. In exchange, each candidate was charged ₹2.5 million (10 lakh rupees) in advance and the remaining ₹1.5 million (15 lakh rupees) after securing the job. The three agents arrested by the police are members of this entire racket. They were working under the direction of other, more prominent agents. Police say this is an organized gang spread across the state. Investigations have revealed that several other agents are involved in this racket. Police have stated that they are being identified and will soon be arrested. 117 people arrested A case has been registered in this matter at the Golanthara police station in the Berhampur police district. The accused have been charged under sections 319(2), 318(4), 338, 336(3), 340(2), 111, 61(2), and 3(5) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as sections 11(1) and 12(1) of the Odisha Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. Police stated that all 117 individuals have been formally arrested and will be produced in court. Further investigations are underway to identify and prosecute the remaining individuals involved in the scam. What did the Law Minister say? Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said, "After our government came to power, we introduced a major change in the way examinations were conducted here for the past 24 years. There were also changes in the penalty provisions, whether it was fines or jail sentences. We amended all provisions and introduced a policy to increase penalties. Despite this, some miscreants continue to commit such illegal acts. We have made arrests in the SI exam case. Our investigation is currently underway. Once the investigation is complete, strict action will be taken against anyone involved. Anyone found involved in the investigation, whether it be an agency, a political figure, or a government employee, will face strict action." Earlier, the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) also admitted to irregularities in the examination and postponed the CPSE-2024 examination scheduled for October 5-6. The board has also issued a helpline number 9040493223, where common people or candidates can report any suspicious activity.