Odisha Police widen probe into recruitment scam

Odisha Police on Thursday (October 9, 2025) widened its probe into the cash-for-job scam by raiding a prominent city-based coaching institute, Banik Coaching Centre.

According to the State Crime Branch, the raid followed revelations that several of the arrested job aspirants had links with the centre.

Earlier this month, police arrested 114 candidates who were allegedly taken outside the State to obtain leaked question papers for the Combined Police Service Examination (CPSE) 2024, which has since been cancelled.

As per the investigation, each aspirant had agreed to pay ₹25 lakh for access to the question papers—₹10 lakh as an advance and the remaining ₹15 lakh after securing the job.

“We have come to know that some of the arrested aspirants were associated with the coaching centre. We have sought five years of records on students who received training there,” said Narendra Behera, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch.

Mr. Behera added that the records would be scrutinised to verify any possible link between the coaching centre, job seekers, and the scamsters.

Reacting to the development, Subrat Chhatoi, Managing Director of Banik Coaching Centre, said, “We have been providing quality education for the past 12 years. We have nothing to hide and will fully cooperate with the investigating team.”

Meanwhile, the Youth Congress staged a massive protest in Bhubaneswar, targeting the Mohan Majhi Government over the alleged recruitment scam.

“There is a recruitment scam in Odisha, and job seekers are being deceived. The government must be held accountable,” charged Uday Bhanu Chib, national president of the Youth Congress.

In a statement, the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB), which conducted the examination for recruitment of sub-inspectors, urged aspirants to remain patient, assuring that the examination would be reconducted in a transparent manner.