Bhubaneswar, June 13 : The CBI on Thursday conducted massive search operations at around 67 places across Odisha in connection with a certificate forgery case.

'Searches at over 67 locations have been conducted in various districts of Odisha, including Kalahandi, Nuapada, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, and Bhadrak," said a CBI officer.

The CBI initiated the search on the basis of a complaint lodged by the Director of Postal Services, Bhubaneswar.

A case was registered by the CBI on May 9, 2023 under Sections 120-B, 420, 468, and 471, 511 of the IPC, and Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) against 63 candidates of the Gramin Dak Sevak Exam, 2023 (Odisha Circle) and others including unknown officials of the postal department.

"This massive operation involved more than 204 officials, including 122 officers from CBI and 82 personnel from other departments, highlighting the scale and seriousness of the investigation," added the CBI officer.

As per the complaint, the postal department had sought online applications from eligible candidates for 1,382 Gramin Dak Sevak posts on January 27, 2023.

The eligible candidates were required to have a minimum 10th pass certificate from a recognised education Board with proficiency in the local language.

The applicants were required to upload their certificates and mark sheets on to a centralised server.

Selection was automated, based on the marks secured in the 10th standard.

Selected candidates were informed via SMS and email and were asked to report to the verifying authority within 15 days for document verification prior to their appointment.

"During the verification process, the Odisha Postal Circle allegedly discovered that 63 candidates from various postal divisions, including Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Kalahandi, and Barhampur, had submitted forged or fake 10th pass certificates.

'These certificates were allegedly issued by the Board of High School and Intermediate Education, Allahabad; West Bengal Board, Kolkata; Jharkhand Academic Council, Ranchi," added the official.

The postal department suspects the involvement of some interstate criminals in the certificate forgery racket.

/IANS