Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Monday staged a protest in Bhubaneswar demanding a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the recruitment of police sub-inspectors in Odisha.
The written examination for recruitment of police SI was postponed by the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB) after Berhampur Police arrested several people, including 114 aspirants, from the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border September 30.
Police said the candidates were allegedly on their way to an undisclosed location in the neighbouring state for “special coaching” ahead of the exam scheduled for October 5-6.
According to police sources, each candidate had allegedly agreed to pay Rs 25 lakh for an SI post, with Rs 10 lakh paid in advance and the remaining Rs 15 lakh to be paid after appointment.
Holding banners, posters and placards and raising slogans against the BJP government, hundreds of BJD members took out a protest march from Master Canteen to Lower PMG Square demanding a CBI probe into the alleged recruitment scam.
When the BJD members tried to break barricades, police prevented them from moving forward leading to a scuffle among the protestors and the security personnel.
Several BJD leaders and workers have been detained, a police officer said.
Alleging the state government was playing with the future of youths, BJD leader Pritiranjan Gharai demanded that the government hand over the case to the central agency to give justice to students and youths.
“The BJP government has asked the crime branch to investigate the case to protect the big names involved in the scam,” he alleged.
BJD women’s wing president Snehangini Chhuria claimed that each SI post was “sold for Rs 25 lakh” and alleged the involvement of senior government officials.
“Not just SI posts, all job recruitments during the BJP regime were sold. It has now become a ‘cash-for-job’ situation in Odisha, which is unfortunate and condemnable,” she alleged.
Chinmaya Sahoo, BJD’s youth wing president, alleged, “It was an organised recruitment scam. Even the police department is involved in it. Only a CBI probe can expose the whole scam.”
Responding to the allegations, BJP Yuva Morcha president Abhilash Panda referred to a 2022 job fraud case in Balasore during the BJD government’s tenure.
“Three years ago, Balasore police had detained several job aspirants along with the middlemen. However, all the candidates were allowed to go. But, this time, police have arrested all candidates involved in the irregularities of SI recruitment,” he said.
Meanwhile, the crime branch has detained another person from Balasore district suspecting his involvement in the recruitment irregularities.
PTI
