In a major breakthrough in the Odisha Police Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment examination scam, the OdishaCrime Branch on Saturday arrested the prime accused and alleged mastermind, Shankar Prusty, from Uttarakhand near the Nepal border.

According to official sources, Shankar Prusty had been absconding since the scam came to light and was believed to be hiding along the Nepal border to evade arrest. After extensive surveillance and coordinated efforts, the Crime Branch team successfully tracked him down and apprehended him.

Shankar is accused of orchestrating the large-scale irregularities in the SI recruitment process, involving the leak of question papers and illegal monetary transactions with aspirants.

Earlier, Shankar Prusty, alleged to be the mastermind behind the racket and head of Panchsoft Company, had approached the Orissa High Court seeking anticipatory bail. However, the Orissa High Court had rejected the anticipatory bail petitions filed by Shankar and his wife, Deeptimayee Sahu.

The court, while hearing the matter, had directed Deeptimayee Sahu to appear before the trial court and file a regular bail application as per legal procedure. However, both Shankar and his wife had been evading arrest.

The SI exam scam, which rocked the recruitment process, has raised serious concerns over transparency in competitive examinations in the state.