The Odisha Crime Branch has arrested five individuals in Bolangir for allegedly using forged matriculation certificates to secure Grameen Dak Sevak (GDS) roles in the postal department.
The accused, identified as Kulamani Rana, Ajaudin Kumbhar, Rajat Kumar Naik, Sudhir Bhue, and Tophan Bag, were taken into custody after an investigation revealed fraudulent activities in the 2023 recruitment process.
The arrests come as part of a broader crackdown on document forgery in Odisha. Authorities uncovered a network of fake certificates that had been used by job aspirants across multiple districts. Earlier investigations led to the arrest of 20 individuals, including key suspect Abhijeet Kumar Bhakat. Officials report that a coaching centre in Bolangir charged candidates anywhere from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5,00,000 for falsified academic records, inflating marks up to 98-100%. This raised suspicion when several recruits failed basic English and Odia language tests.
Given the multi-state links of the scam, the postal department has urged a CBI inquiry. The central agency recently conducted searches in various locations across Odisha, including Bhubaneswar, Kalahandi, and Keonjhar, seizing digital records and forged documents.
Authorities continue their investigation, with further arrests expected as they dismantle the racket. The crackdown underscores growing concerns over fraudulent recruitment practices and the need for stricter verification measures in government hiring.
