June 13th 2024.
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated a search operation at 67 locations in Odisha, following an allegation of recruitment fraud in the postal department. According to officials, the CBI's action comes in response to a complaint received from the postal department approximately a year ago. The complaint accuses 63 candidates of the Gramin Dak Sevaks Exam of submitting fake certificates.
Over 204 officials, including 122 from the CBI and 82 from other departments, have been deployed to carry out the search operation. The operation is currently underway in various districts such as Kalahandi, Nuapada, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, and Bhadrak. The primary objective of this operation is to uncover an interstate organised gang that is responsible for producing and supplying these fake certificates.
In a statement, a CBI spokesperson stated that the fake certificates were allegedly issued by various boards such as the Board of High School and Intermediate Education in Allahabad, the West Bengal Board in Kolkata, and the Jharkhand Academic Council in Ranchi. The complaint suggests that there is a possibility of an interstate racket being involved in this illegal activity, in collusion with the candidates.
It is noteworthy that this search operation is being conducted almost a year after the CBI filed a First Information Report (FIR) based on the complaint received from the postal department. The complaint alleged that 63 candidates of the Gramin Dak Sevak Exam, which was held in 2023, had submitted forged or fake 10th pass certificates.
The postal department had invited online applications for 1,382 posts of Gramin Dak Sevak on January 27, 2023. The minimum qualification required for this post was 10th pass from a recognized board, with proficiency in the local language being mandatory. As part of the application process, the aspirants were required to submit their certificates and mark sheets online on a centralised server.
The CBI spokesperson also stated that the selection process was fully automated, based on the marks secured by the candidates in their 10th standard. The selected candidates were then informed via SMS and email and were asked to report to the verifying authority within 15 days for document verification before their appointment.
Upon verification, it was discovered that 63 candidates from different postal divisions, including Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Kalahandi, and Barhampur, had submitted forged or fake 10th pass certificates. This has led to the CBI's search operation in these locations. This case has been registered by the Press Trust of India (PTI) and is currently being investigated by the CBI.
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