Days after 114 police sub-inspector aspirants were arrested in connection with the recruitment scam, the Biju Janata Dal on Friday (October 3, 2025) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party Government in Odisha of complicity and released photographs of the prime suspect with Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other senior BJP leaders.
“The Panchsoft Private Limited, which was sublet for conducting written examination for posts of sub-inspector of police, has been under scanner. Panchsoft chief Shankar Prusti is a BJP member and alleged kingpin of the recruitment scam. He has photographs with Odisha CM and several BJP leaders,” alleged BJD Student Wing President Ipsita Sahu.
Dismissing BJP President Manmohan Samal’s claim that the party had no role in the scam, Ms. Sahu said it was not acceptable and pointed out that Prusti, who is involved in recruitment scam, had formally joined BJP in the presence of Mr. Samal.”
“It is troubling to note as to how an inexperienced firm like Panchsoft was given sensitive responsibility of conducting examination for 933 posts of SI. The involvement of BJP leaders in the scam is clear,” she said.
According to BJD, the advertisement for filling up of 933 sub-inspector of police was issued in the month of January 2025.
“The central public sector unit Indian Telephone Industries Limited was entrusted with conducting the examination. The ITI in turn partnered with Gujarat-based Richminds Digital Private Limited for handling the assignment. The ITI removed Richminds Digital Private Limited and brought in Odisha-based Silicon Digitech as partner. Silicon Digitech, in turn, subcontracted the work to an inexperienced Berhampur-based firm, Panchsoft Technologies. Panchsoft allegedly took large sums of money to manipulate the recruitment process and sell jobs,” charged BJD student wing chief.
Cancellation of examination
In the past 15 months, as many as 16 recruitment examinations have been cancelled at the last moment, causing severe disappointment to job aspirants, she further alleged.
The BJD demanded a CBI inquiry into the job scam alleging deserving candidates were deprived of jobs in the State as jobs were sold in lieu of huge amount of money and it was murkier than Vyapam scam.
According to Berhampur police, the arrested candidates confessed to paying ₹25 lakh each for the job— ₹10 lakh upfront and the remaining ₹15 lakh after confirmation of appointment. Among those arrested was the son of a retired police officer.
As many as 114 aspirants for sub-inspector of police were caught while being taken by buses outside the State to access leaked question papers. The Crime Branch of the State police has begun an inquiry into the scam.
Retired police officers pointed out that recruitment for SI posts involves multiple stages—written test, physical examination, and interview. They said such large sums of money would not have been paid merely to clear the written test, suggesting that some senior government officers must have assured the candidates of clearing the physical and interview rounds as well.
Published – October 04, 2025 12:23 am IST
