In a major breakthrough in the ongoing Odisha Police Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment scam, the state’s Crime Branch has arrested Shankar Prusty, the alleged mastermind behind the large-scale question paper leak.
Prusty, who had been evading authorities since the scandal erupted in late September, was apprehended in Uttarakhand near the Nepal border, where he is believed to have been hiding to avoid capture.
The arrest marks a significant development in what has become one of Odisha’s most notorious recruitment frauds, involving an organised syndicate that compromised the integrity of the Combined Police Service Examination (CPSE) for 933 SI posts.
With over 1.53 lakh applicants vying for the positions, the exam—originally scheduled for October 5-6—was indefinitely postponed after revelations of widespread irregularities.
Prusty, the director of Panchsoft Technologies Pvt Ltd, a sub-contractor involved in the exam process, is accused of orchestrating the leak of question papers and facilitating illegal access for candidates in exchange for hefty bribes.
