Bhubaneswar: In a major breakthrough, the Odisha police on Thursday uncovered a massive scam in the Indian Naval Services (INS) recruitment process. Three Navy personnel were arrested for allegedly duping lakhs of rupees from aspirants, promising them jobs as Agniveers in the Indian Navy.
Among those arrested, one is an ex-Navy officer and two others are currently serving at INS Chilka and INS Kesari in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The arrests were made following a first information report (FIR) registered on April 19 at Balugaon police station.
Initial investigations reveal that the accused had been collecting huge sums from job seekers with false assurances of securing them a place in the Navy. The police are further investigating the extent of the scam and whether more individuals are involved.
“They extorted a huge amount of money from Agniveer aspirants who appeared in the examination held in November 2024 by promising them assistance in police verification, physical examination, and securing a job,” said Khurdha superintendent of police (SP) Sagarika Nath, while addressing the media.
“The police have seized several transaction proofs and bank documents during the course of their investigation. So far, three individuals have been apprehended in connection with the scam. Among them, one is a former Navy officer and a resident of Uttar Pradesh. The second accused is currently holding an EAP-5 position and is posted at INS Kesari in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The third accused is serving at INS Chilika,” the top cop informed.
SP Nath also revealed that, according to intelligence inputs, two more individuals are suspected to be involved in the racket. As of now, the police have frozen 12 bank accounts linked to the fraudulent activities. The investigation is underway, she added.
