Another Accused Arrested By Odisha Crime Branch In Police SI Exam Scam

Bhubaneswar: Further intensifying its probe into alleged fraud in police sub-inspector (SI) recruitment, the Crime Branch of Odisha Police on Sunday arrested another man for his involvement in the scam.

The arrested person has been identified as Arabinda Das (43), a resident of Nabara village under Singala police station in Balasore district.

A Crime Branch statement said that Das was taken into custody following sustained interrogation and the seizure of several incriminating materials from his possession. Das was forwarded to a court in Berhampur. The investigation in the case is in progress.

The charges against accused Das include multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)—319(2), 318(4), 338, 336(3), 340(2), 111, 61(2), and 3(5)—along with Sections 11(1) and 12(1) of the Odisha Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. The case is linked to Golanthara PS Case No. 447 dated September 30, 2025.

Irregularities in the SI recruitment process surfaced after the arrest of 117 persons, including 114 aspirants, by Berhampur police on September 30. The Crime Branch continues its efforts to track down the alleged masterminds behind the racket, including Shankar Prusty and Muna Mohanty.

The racket was uncovered when police intercepted a group of candidates en route to Vijayanagaram in Andhra Pradesh, for special coaching sessions for the SI examination. Acting on a tip-off, police stopped luxury buses carrying the candidates and middlemen at the Andhra-Odisha border on September 30.

In response to the scandal, the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) has postponed the written examination for the Police Sub-Inspector posts, which was scheduled to take place on October 5 and 6.