Bhubaneswar: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday carried out raids at over 67 locations across various districts of Odisha, including Kalahandi, Nuapada, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore and Bhadrak.
The raids involving 122 officers from CBI and 82 personnel from other departments were conducted to unearth the interstate organised gang involved in supplying fake certificates to candidates appearing for the Gramin Dak Sevak Exam.
As per the press note released by the CBI, New Delhi, the raids were launched on the basis of a complaint lodged by the Director of Postal Services, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
For the recruitment process for 1,382 posts of Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS), 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 centralized server. The 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 prior to their appointment.
As per sources, during the verification process, the Odisha Postal Circle allegedly discovered that 63 candidates from various postal divisions, including Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Kalahandi, and Berhampur, had submitted forged or fake 10th pass certificates, stated the release.
As per the release, the 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 complaint suggests alleged involvement of an interstate racket in creating and supplying these forged certificates in collusion with the candidates.
