The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday questioned four individuals in connection with the Odisha Police Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment scam, marking the first major round of interrogation since the agency officially took over the case earlier this month.
According to sources, the CBI had summoned 10 people for questioning, but only four appeared before investigators at the agency’s Bhubaneswar office. The interrogation began around 3 pm and continued until approximately 11:30 pm. All four individuals, including one candidate previously arrested by the Odisha Crime Branch and currently out on bail, were allowed to leave after the session.
Investigators said the information gathered will be assessed alongside documents, digital records, and electronic evidence already collected during the preliminary stages of the probe.
CBI Probe Begins Following Centre’s Approval
The fresh round of questioning follows the Government of India’s November 11 notification authorising the CBI to investigate irregularities in the SI recruitment process. The order was issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
The case involves allegations of exam data manipulation and unauthorised access to digital systems used during the recruitment test. The CBI is currently investigating how the alleged tampering occurred, potential involvement of insiders, and whether financial transactions played a role.
Crime Branch’s Earlier Findings Under Scrutiny
Before the case was transferred, the Odisha Crime Branch had interrogated several suspects and secured judicial custody of key accused Shankar Prusty, head of Panchsoft Technologies.
Earlier this month, the Crime Branch sought court approval in Berhampur to conduct polygraph tests on Prusty and another accused, Suresh Chandra Nayak, owner of Silicon Tech, after both reportedly gave contradictory statements.
Prusty, a major suspect in the alleged data manipulation, was arrested near the Indo-Nepal border following weeks of evasion. He was brought to Bhubaneswar for interrogation and confronted with another accused, Muna Mohanty, to verify how recruitment data was accessed and altered.
CBI Expands Scope, Focuses on Digital Evidence
Officials said the remaining six individuals who received CBI summons are expected to appear today. Meanwhile, the agency is examining records of institutions linked to the online examination, communication logs of the accused, and digital footprints relevant to the recruitment process.
The CBI is also likely to seek additional technical documents from private software firms and servers associated with the examination system as part of the ongoing probe.
