Bhubaneswar, June 13 (Representative) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday launched extensive searches at over 67 locations in Odisha following a complaint from the Director of Postal Services, Bhubaneswar, regarding the fake certificates in the recruitment of 1,382 posts of Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS). The searches were conducted in various districts of Odisha, including Kalahandi, Nuapada, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, and Bhadrak. CBI sources 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 interstate organized gang responsible for providing fake certificates. The CBI registered a regular case on May 9 last year under Sections 120-B, 420, 468, and 471 read with 511 of the IPC, and Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, based on a complaint by the Postal Department against 63 candidates of the Gramin Dak Sevak Examination, 2023 (Odisha Circle), and others, including unknown officials of the postal department and unknown private persons.
The complaint concerns the recruitment process for 1,382 posts of Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS), for which online applications were invited on January 27, 2023. The minimum qualification required was a 10th pass certificate from any recognized 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. Selection was automated based on the marks secured in the 10th standard. The 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. 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. These certificates were allegedly issued by the Board of High School and Intermediate Education, Allahabad, West Bengal Board, Kolkata, Jharkhand Academic Council and Ranchi among others. The complaint suggests the alleged involvement of an interstate racket in creating and supplying these forged certificates in collusion with the candidates,CBI sources said.