CBI arrests ‘kingpin’ in CAPF recruitment scam case

CBI arrests prime accused in CAPF recruitment irregularities case in West Bengal, ongoing investigation reveals forged domicile certificates.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested the prime accused in connection with a case regarding alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in West Bengal on Friday, January 31.

According to a statement by the CBI, searches were conducted at multiple locations and one of the prime accused, Mahesh Kumar Choudhary, was apprehended on Friday. Mr. Choudhary was reportedly posted as a sepoy at the Engineering Store Deport at Kankinara in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas.

The CBI alleged that, according to its investigation, he was “the kingpin of a racket involved in preparing domicile certificates of West Bengal based on forged certificates”. The investigating agency further discovered that he allegedly collected huge amounts of money directly from the candidates and through middlemen.

Mr. Choudhary was produced before the CBI Court No 1 at Kolkata’s Alipore on Saturday, February 1, and was remanded to police custody for five days. The investigation is ongoing, CBI said.

The CBI had registered the case following an August 2023 order by the Calcutta High Court on the allegations that undeserving candidates had received appointments illegally in the CAPF based on forged or unauthenticated documents and domicile certificates.

Apart from Mr. Choudhary, their FIR also names one Raju Gupta. In August 2023, Bishnu Chowdhury, the petitioner in the Calcutta High Court proceedings, alleged irregularities and malpractices in the recruitment of personnel for the Indian Army and other central forces. He accused Mr. Chowdhury and Mr. Gupta of being the main perpetrators.

In the same year, the CBI claimed that it found at least four instances where forged or inauthentic documents were used to procure jobs in the Central Forces.