CBI searches 12 places across Odisha over postal recruitment scam

BHUBANESWAR: CBI on Wednesday conducted simultaneous searches at 12 locations in the state, including in Bhubaneswar, Kalahandi, Balangir, Sambalpur and Keonjhar, in connection with its probe into irregularities in the Gramin Dak Sevak recruitment during 2023.
"Officers carried out search operations at premises connected to suspects, including intermediaries and individuals involved in producing counterfeit matriculation certificates from the Uttar Pradesh board and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)," a CBI officer said.
The search operations led to the seizure of crucial documents, digital devices and questionable certificates. The CBI team found evidence suggesting that intermediaries charged substantial sums from aspiring candidates to arrange counterfeit educational certificates. The candidates were from various postal divisions, including Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Kalahandi and Berhampur.
In Bhubaneswar, the searches focused on residential premises and offices linked to key suspects. Similar operations in Kalahandi and Balangir yielded important leads about the network's operations. Searches in Sambalpur and Keonjhar exposed additional connections to the recruitment scam.
The postal department detected the fraud during physical verification of certificates which were submitted by the candidates online. During verification, postal officials found that the candidates failed to write their names in English and Odia even though their marksheets showed they had secured more than 90% marks in all subjects.
The authorities also raised a suspicion after finding Odia as one of the subjects the candidates passed, though the certificate issuing boards were in other states.