BHUBANESWAR: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday launched a major investigation into alleged certificate forgery in Odisha postal recruitment on the basis of a complaint received from the Director of Postal Services, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Cases in this connection has been registered against 63 candidates applied for Gramin Dak Sevak Exam as well as some officials of postal department for their alleged involvement in this crime.
Sources said searches are being conducted at over 67 locations across the state including Kalahandi, Nuapada, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, and Bhadrak district.
The search teams, comprising more than 204 officials, including 122 officers from the CBI and 82 personnel from other departments, are striving to uncover the inter-state organised gang responsible for providing fake certificates. "This highlights the scale and seriousness of the investigation," said an official.
Notably, the CBI registered a regular case on May 9 last year under sections 120-B, 420, 468, and 471 read with 511 of the IPC and Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) on a complaint by the Postal Department against 63 candidates of the Gramin Dak Sevak Exam, 2023 (Odisha Circle) and others, including unknown officials of the postal department and unknown private persons.
The complaint raised concern about the recruitment process for 1,382 posts in Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS), for which online applications were invited on January 27, 2023. The minimum qualification required was a 10th pass certificate from any recognised board, with proficiency in the local language being mandatory.
According to the procedure, applicants were required to upload their certificates and mark sheets to a centralized server. Selection was automated based on the marks secured in the 10th standard. Selected candidates were informed via SMS and email and were asked to report to the verifying authority within 15 days for document verification prior to their appointment.
However, during the verification process, the Odisha Postal Circle allegedly discovered that 63 candidates from various postal divisions, including Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Kalahandi, and Barhampur, had submitted fake and forged 10th pass certificates.
These certificates were allegedly issued by the Board of High School and Intermediate Education, Allahabad; West Bengal Board, Kolkata; Jharkhand Academic Council, Ranchi; among others.
The complaint suggested alleged involvement of an interstate racket in creating and supplying these forged certificates in collusion with the candidates. Accordingly, probe was launched. Further investigation into the matter is underway, sources said.