Odisha Police SI scam shocker: ‘Mastermind’ Shankar Prusty namedrops previous govt, claims Rs 1,000-crore ‘deal’

The alleged mastermind of the Odisha Police Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment scam, Shankar Prusty, has triggered fresh suspense after his arrest by the Crime Branch, hinting at possible political links to the scandal.

Speaking to reporters after being brought to Bhubaneswar on Sunday morning, Prusty made a cryptic remark about the previous government before going silent. In another shocker, he likely hinted that the job sale scam ran into Rs 1,000 crore.

“During the previous government... if I had not surrendered, there would not have been a 1,000 crore deal. It was not me but conspirators who did this scam. I have all the evidence and faith in the law,” Prusty said to the media.

While he stopped short of naming anyone, his reference to the “previous government” has sparked speculation about whether he was alluding to political involvement during the tenure of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government.

He further said that he intends to share “all evidence” with the state authorities and demanded a deeper investigation of all 124 accused to verify that he was not involved in the entire matter.

Prusty And Muna Mohanty Come Face-to-Face

Following his arrest, Prusty was taken to the Crime Branch headquarters in Cuttack and was interrogated alongside co-accused Muna Mohanty, who was earlier remanded for five days.

Sources confirmed that, as of the last reports, CB investigators were continuing face-to-face questioning sessions to reconcile discrepancies between their statements.

Crime Branch officials are also cross-verifying digital evidence, including WhatsApp records, bank transactions, and files suspected to have been shared through encrypted channels. Both accused are believed to have been central figures in the manipulation of the SI recruitment examination conducted by the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB).

ALSO READ: Odisha Police SI recruitment scam: Tutor, murder accused and mastermind; who is Shankar Prusty?

Prusty Denies Allegations, Claims Political Targeting

Despite mounting evidence, Prusty has maintained that he is being falsely implicated. He denied any connection to Muna Mohanty or the other accused and said he had already approached both the Orissa High Court and the Supreme Court for pre-arrest bail.

“All of these are baseless allegations. I have complete faith in the court of law and will soon secure bail,” he told reporters.

However, his cryptic mention of the “previous government” has drawn widespread attention, leading to speculation that he may possess information on individuals linked to earlier administrative regimes.

It was worth noting that Shankar Prusty, who owns Panchsoft Technologies, was arrested in Uttarakhand near the Indo-Nepal border late Saturday night while allegedly preparing to flee abroad.

After completion of his arrest memo and transit formalities in New Delhi, Prusty was flown to Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar on Sunday morning under tight security. He was then taken straight to Cuttack for interrogation.