Odisha Police arrests a key racket member and claims that a crime syndicate is responsible for the SI recruitment exam scam

As the opposition parties stepped up their calls for a CBI investigation or a court inquiry into the scam, the Crime Branch of Odisha Police on Saturday detained a major member of the organized syndicate that was working to rig the sub-inspector (SI) recruitment exam.

"Preliminary probe revealed that an organized criminal syndicate is operating to subvert the entire examination process by adopting unfair means for monetary gain," said a statement from the Crime Branch, which was tasked with investigating the case after the state government suspected sabotage in the recruitment process.

Following the arrest of 117 individuals, including 114 prospective candidates, from the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border by the Berhampur Police, the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) postponed the written exam for the recruitment of SIs in the police on September 30. Before the written exam on October 5–6, they planned to receive "special coaching" in an undisclosed location in the neighboring state.