The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on June 13 conducted searches at 67 locations in nine districts of Odisha over alleged certificate forgery in postal recruitment.
As many as 63 candidates have been booked for forgery in connection with the Gramin Dak Sevak examination. The districts where searches have been conducted include Kalahandi, Nuapada, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore and Bhadrak.
The search operation involved 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 inter-State organised gang responsible for providing these fake certificates.
According to the apex investigating agency, a regular case was registered on May 9, 2023 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 (as amended in 2018) on a complaint by the Postal department against 63 candidates of the Gramin Dak Sevak Exam, 2023 (Odisha Circle) and others, including unknown officials of the Postal department and unknown private persons.
The complaint, as per the CBI, involves the recruitment process for 1,382 Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) positions. Online applications opened on January 27, 2023. Applicants needed at least a 10th grade pass from a recognised board and proficiency in the local language. They had to upload their certificates and mark sheets to a centralised server. The selection was automated, based on 10th grade marks. Selected candidates received notifications via SMS and email and were instructed to report for document verification within 15 days before their appointment.
Verification process
“During the verification process, the Odisha Postal Circle allegedly discovered that 63 candidates from various postal divisions, including Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Kalahandi, and Barhampur, had submitted forged or fake 10th pass certificates,” said the CBI.
It observed, “these 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 inter-State racket in creating and supplying these forged certificates in collusion with the candidates.”
During application processes, the Postal department had come across five out of 1,380 shortlisted candidates securing a perfect 100% while four others had above 99%. The manipulation was not confined to Odisha alone.
In Gujarat, while one candidate had obtained 100% in Class X examination, 31 Jharkhand candidates had scored perfect 100% marks. As far as Bihar was concerned, one would lose count as the number of candidates having secured 100% mark in Class X examination crosses more than 100. Invariably, every State had some shortlisted candidates who had scored perfect 100% in their examinations.
The first salary drawn by a Branch Postmaster and an Assistant Branch Postmaster was about ₹16,000 and the Dak Sevak would draw ₹13,000 to 14,000. These employees are not regulars of Indian Post. Their retirement age is 65 and they would operate in villages.
The Balangir Postal Division had suspected manipulation when it came across candidates securing above 99% in English.
