Bhubaneswar, Apr 23 (PTI) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday conducted searches at 12 locations across five districts in Odisha as part of its probe into alleged irregularities in the Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) recruitment in 2023.

The central agency had registered a case in this connection on May 9, 2023, following a reference from the chief postmaster general, Odisha Circle, Bhubaneswar, who alleged that certain candidates had submitted fake matriculation certificates to secure jobs during the 2023 GDS recruitment process, an official statement said.

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The CBI search operation was conducted at Bhubaneswar in Khurda district, Kalahandi, Balangir, Sambalpur and Keonjhar.

The premises of individuals involved in the irregularities, including middlemen and those engaged in making forged matriculation certificates of the Uttar Pradesh Board and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), were raided, it said.

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The searches led to the recovery of several incriminating documents and articles, highlighting the fraudulent activities, the CBI said.

The central agency has already filed a charge sheet on December 30, 2024, against 58 accused, including 55 candidates and three middlemen, before the court of the additional chief judicial magistrate, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Further investigation is underway to identify the remaining candidates involved in the scam, as well as the masterminds behind the forgery of mark sheets and certificates, to uncover the full extent of the fraud, CBI officials said.

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