Bhubaneswar: A 22-year-old man from Haryana has been arrested for allegedly securing a job at the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) by using a proxy candidate to appear in the recruitment examination on his behalf. Police said the alleged fraud came to light during identity verification after the candidate had already been selected and issued an appointment letter.
The accused has been identified as Sachin Kumar (22), a resident of Jind district, Haryana. The arrest was made following a complaint filed on July 17 by the Principal of IHM. According to the complaint, doubts arose regarding the identity of the candidate selected in the recruitment process for the Lower Division Clerk (LDC) post after the written examination and skill test held on June 30.
Police said Sachin Kumar had topped the recruitment process and was subsequently issued an appointment letter. However, the institute received information alleging that another person had appeared in the written examination on his behalf. Before allowing him to join, the institute sought police assistance to verify his identity.
During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage, attendance records, application forms and other recruitment documents. The inquiry allegedly established that the individual who appeared in the examination was different from the person who later reported to join the post.
During interrogation, Sachin Kumar allegedly admitted that Anuj Sharma alias Singh had appeared in the examination on his behalf. According to investigators, the two had entered into an agreement under which Anuj Sharma was to receive ₹7–8 lakh after the job was secured.
Police also suspect the involvement of Sachin’s uncle, Sumer Singh, and cousin, Navneet Singh, in the alleged conspiracy. Their roles are currently under investigation as police attempt to uncover the full extent of the recruitment fraud.
During the operation, investigators seized the accused’s original admit card, appointment letter, educational certificates, Aadhaar card, an iPhone, examination records and other recruitment-related documents. Handwriting and signature samples have also been collected and sent for forensic examination.
Police said the investigation is continuing to identify the proxy candidate and determine whether a larger examination fraud network was involved. Further legal action will be taken against anyone found to have participated in the alleged conspiracy.
