Odisha Police busts SI exam scam, 117 arrested including 114 aspirants

October 1, 2025

Bhubaneswar: In a major crackdown on examination malpractice, Odisha Police has arrested 117 people, including 114 job aspirants and three middlemen, for their alleged involvement in the upcoming Sub-Inspector recruitment scam.

Anonymous Tip Leads to Raid

According to a police press statement, confidential information was received about a large-scale malpractice linked to the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) Sub-Inspector exam. Acting on the tip-off, a Berhampur Police team intercepted three AC sleeper buses near the Andhra Pradesh border on Monday night.

Verification revealed that 117 passengers were on board, of which 114 had applied for the Combined Police Service Examination (CPSE)-2024 scheduled for October 5 and 6.

Modus Operandi of the Racket

Police investigations found that the candidates had boarded the buses from Bhubaneswar’s Baramunda area and were headed to Vijayanagaram, allegedly under the guidance of three agents. The agents were working for a wider network of middlemen.

The plan, according to police, was to procure the confidential question paper in Vijayanagaram, return to Bhubaneswar, and appear in the exam. Each candidate had agreed to pay ₹25 lakh — ₹10 lakh upfront and the balance ₹15 lakh after securing the job.

Wider Network Under Probe

Odisha Police stated that more intermediaries are involved in the racket and efforts are underway to identify and arrest them. A case has been registered at Golanthara Police Station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and provisions of the Odisha Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

All 117 arrested individuals are being produced before court on Wednesday.

Exam Cancelled After Scam Exposed

Following the exposure of the racket, the OPRB on Tuesday cancelled the CPSE-2024 written exam that was scheduled for October 5–6. The recruitment drive had been announced on December 20, 2024, for 933 Sub-Inspector posts, with nearly 1.53 lakh candidates applying.

Political Backlash

Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik strongly criticized the state government for the cancellation of the exam, calling it a “systematic governance failure.”