BHUBANESWAR: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted searches at 10 locations in Odisha and West Bengal in connection with the alleged police sub-inspector (SI) recruitment scam.
Sources said the ED searched properties linked to the alleged mastermind of the scam, Sankar Prusty, his close associates, Suresh Nayak and others. “The ED is probing the money laundering aspect of the scam. More details, including any seizures, will be shared in the coming days,” an official said. Sources said the agency searched eight locations in Odisha and two in neighbouring West Bengal.
The examination, conducted by the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) and scheduled for October 5 and 6, 2025, was awarded to ITI Limited, a Kolkata-based central public sector undertaking (PSU).
However, ITI Limited sub-contracted the work to Bhubaneswar-based Silicon Techlab, which, in turn, handed over key tasks to Panchsoft Technologies. Panchsoft was headed by Prusty, while Silicon Techlab was promoted by Nayak.
Sources said the question paper was allegedly leaked by individuals associated with the entities engaged in conducting the examination. The candidates were allegedly promised access to the question paper for payments ranging from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 30 lakh each.
On October 30 last year, police intercepted three buses carrying 114 candidates near Ichchapuram, near the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border. The Crime Branch initially investigated the case, which was subsequently transferred to the CBI.