Balangir fake certificate row, CB to begin probe
The Odisha government has ordered a Crime Branch investigation into the fake certificate racket, and a five-member CB team is leaving for Balangir on Saturday to investigate the case, despite opposition parties criticizing the ruling BJD over the issue.
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Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has ordered a Crime Branch investigation into the fake certificate racket, and a five-member CB team is leaving for Balangir on Saturday to investigate the case, despite opposition parties criticizing the ruling BJD over the issue.
According to sources, the five-member CB team led by DSP D B Chakra will also conduct investigations in other parts of the country where the network of the fake certificate racket is spread.
The CB team will first go to the Balangir police station to retrieve the confiscated documents from the district police. The team will then visit the coaching center run by the alleged mastermind, Manoj Mishra.
Notably, Balangir police arrested 19 people, including the alleged mastermind, Manoj Mishra, who were involved in the fake certificate racket.
Balangir police recently seized over 1,000 fake certificates issued in the name of 41 reputable universities during a raid.
The CB team will transport the fake certificates, as well as verification reports, seals, diaries, and rubber stamps, mobile phones, bank accounts, and land documents seized by Balangir police.
Police also seized Rs 3.67 lakh in cash from Mishra's possession.
On March 23, postal authorities discovered that some job applicants had provided forged mark sheets and certificates in order to secure postal jobs in the Balangir district.
Notably, the Postal Department advertised 83 vacancies for branch post manager (BPM), assistant BPM, and daak sevak positions in February.
During the verification, discrepancies were discovered in 37 of the applicants' matric certificates obtained in Uttar Pradesh. While these applicants scored above 98 percent and one hundred percent in English, they reportedly failed the department's English test. One student admitted to having paid Rs 50,000 for her board examination certificate.
Later, fake certificates were discovered in the districts of Kendrapada, Kandhamal, and Koraput, indicating the racket's extensive network.
Opposition parties in the state, on the other hand, have attacked the Odisha government over the issue, alleging links between the prime accused and BJD leaders.
Mohan Majhi, the BJP's Opposition Chief Whip, displayed photographs of the prime accused in the fake certificate case with former Minister Susanta Singh and claimed a large conspiracy.
