Odisha SI Recruitment Scam: Crime Branch Nabs Muna Mohanty and Four Aides, Mastermind Flees to Dubai
In a major breakthrough, the Odisha Crime Branch has arrested notorious middleman Muna Mohanty and four of his key associates in connection with the Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment scam that rocked the state’s police hiring process.
The arrests were made near Daspalla in Nayagarh district late Thursday night, following a failed raid at a farmhouse where Mohanty had previously taken refuge.
Among those arrested are Sukanta Maharana (alias Rinku), Srikanta Maharana, and Soumya Priyadarshini, who allegedly played pivotal roles in facilitating cheating and managing aspirants’ documents.
The Crime Branch revealed that Mohanty’s network orchestrated a multi-layered operation involving the transportation of candidates to pre-decided exam centers and routing payments through relatives’ bank accounts.
Preliminary investigations suggest that nearly 300 SI posts were illicitly sold. Candidates reportedly paid hefty sums to secure “friendly” centers where cheating was arranged.
During earlier raids, 114 aspirants were intercepted while traveling by bus, while 186 others who traveled by train remain untraced.
The alleged mastermind, Shankar Prusty—head of Panchsoft Company—has reportedly fled to Dubai via Nepal.
He has filed for anticipatory bail in the Orissa High Court. Authorities are coordinating with central agencies to bring him back to face justice.
The Crime Branch continues its pursuit of absconding candidates and expects further arrests in the coming days.
