SI job scam mastermind’s trusted aide arrested

Bhubaneswar: The state crime branch on Wednesday arrested Sagar Kumar Gouda (22), a trusted associate of Shankar Prusty, who is the alleged mastermind of the SI recruitment scam. With this, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to 126. Gouda hails from Berhampur.

Investigations revealed that Gouda played a crucial role in executing Prusty’s plans. Prusty’s private firm was entrusted with conducting the SI recruitment examination, which has come under scrutiny for widespread malpractice.




According to officials, Gouda oversaw a covert operation in which several candidates were transported in three luxury buses from Bhubaneswar to Andhra Pradesh. There, a special coaching camp was organised by Prusty to train the candidates using leaked exam questions. Each candidate reportedly paid between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 25 lakh for access to the questions. Following a tip-off, Berhampur police arrested 114 candidates on Sept 30, leading the Odisha Police Recruitment Board to postpone the exams originally scheduled for Oct 5 and 6.

“We have learnt that Sagar also contacted several candidates in Balasore and planned to take them to Digha in West Bengal. However, they aborted this plan after the mass arrests,” a crime branch official stated.

Acting under Prusty’s instructions, Sagar managed logistics and ensured the smooth execution of the operation. Investigators confirmed that he visited Digha on Sept 29, where hotel rooms were booked for candidates.

Further inquiries suggest that Sagar was deeply involved in multiple aspects of the scam, working closely with Prusty to facilitate his illegal activities. “Sagar fled to Nepal along with Prusty. While Prusty was recently arrested near the Nepal border in Uttarakhand, Gouda remained absconding until now,” the official added.

The crime branch noted that a few suspects are still at large. “Sagar’s arrest is likely the final action by the crime branch, as the case has now been officially handed over to the CBI following Tuesday’s notification. All case details will be shared with the central agency,” the official said.