The CBI has started an investigation following a complaint from the director of postal services, Bhubaneswar, regarding an alleged certificate forgery in the recruitment for the Odisha Postal Service for 1,382 gramin dak sevak posts.
"Searches at over 67 locations have been conducted across various districts of Odisha, including Kalahandi, Nuapada, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore and Bhadrak,” a media release issued by the CBI said.
The CBI said: "This massive operation involves more than 204 officials, including 122 officers from the CBI and 82 personnel from other departments, highlighting the scale and seriousness of the investigation. The search teams are striving to uncover the inter-state organised gang responsible for providing these fake certificates.”
The CBI registered a regular case on May 9, 2023, on a complaint lodged by the postal department against 63 candidates of the Gramin Dak Sevak Exam, 2023 (Odisha Circle), and others. The complaint concerns the recruitment process for 1,382 posts of gramin dak sevak, 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 centralised server, the release said.
"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 before their appointment,” the release said.
During the verification process, the release said, the Odisha Postal Circle allegedly discovered that 63 candidates had submitted fake 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 CBI said.