Three men have been arrested in Kolkata over allegations that they posed as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers to seek confidential recruitment records at the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Eastern Region office in Nizam Palace.
Suspects allegedly sought records without authorisation
According to police sources, two of the accused, identified in one account as Biprarshi Bose and Subham Sagar Tanti, reached the SSC office at about 2:30 pm on Monday in a Tata Nexon carrying “Government of India” signage and markings identifying it as a Deputy Superintendent of Police’s vehicle. Bose allegedly claimed to be a CBI Deputy Superintendent of Police and Tanti a Sub-Inspector.
The men allegedly presented fake CBI identity cards and forged candidate files, seeking recruitment records and internal data under the pretext of an official inquiry. SSC officials became suspicious when they could not produce authorisation for the inquiry. The two allegedly admitted that the documents were forged, after which officials alerted police and the men were apprehended.
Third arrest and recovery of documents
Police questioning of Bose led to the arrest of a third accused, identified in that account as Pallab Mondal. Police seized the vehicle from the Nizam Palace complex and recovered fake CBI badges and SSC documents. Other reports spell the names as Biprashi Basu, Shubham Sarkar and Pallab Mandal, and say the three arrived together in a vehicle displaying Government of India boards.
Those reports say the men claimed to be investigating appointments of candidates who had recently obtained government jobs through the SSC, and sought documents, candidate lists and personal details. Subsequent verification with the CBI confirmed that none of the three was associated with the agency.
Police probe possible wider fraud
Bhowanipore Police registered a case following a complaint by Surajit Basak, Assistant Director of the SSC’s Eastern Region. The case invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to forgery, cheating by impersonation and criminal conspiracy.
Police are examining whether the accused were connected to a wider recruitment or job-fraud racket that allegedly took money from aspirants in return for promises of appointments in central government departments. Some accounts say forged appointment letters purportedly issued by central ministries were among the items recovered.
The incident has prompted security concerns at Nizam Palace, which houses several central government offices. The investigation is continuing to establish the extent of any network and the motive behind the alleged attempt to access SSC records.
