Bhubaneswar: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today conducted extensive searches at 12 locations across five districts in the State as part of an ongoing investigation into the Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) Recruitment Fraud 2023.
The CBI had registered a case in this connection on May 9, 2023 following a reference from the Chief Postmaster General, Odisha Circle, Bhubaneswar, which alleged that certain candidates had submitted fake matriculation certificates to secure jobs during the 2023 GDS recruitment process, official sources said.
The CBI search operation conducted at Bhubaneswar, Kalahandi, Balangir, Sambalpur and Keonjhar districts, targeted the premises of individuals involved in the case, including middlemen and those engaged in making forged matriculation certificates of the Uttar Pradesh Board and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
The searches led to the recovery of several incriminating documents and articles, highlighting the fraudulent activities, the sources said.
In this case, the CBI has already filed a chargesheet on December 30, 2024 against 58 accused persons which includes 55 candidates and three middlemen, before the Court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Further investigation is continuing to identify the remaining candidates involved in the scam, as well as the masterminds behind the forgery of mark sheets and certificates, to uncover the full extent of the fraud, they said.