The CBI has arrested a key accused in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) recruitment scam in West Bengal, following a raid, officials said on Saturday.
The arrested individual, Mahesh Kumar Choudhary, a sepoy at the Engineering Store Depot (ESD) in West Bengal, has been identified as the kingpin of a fake document racket. He has been involved in preparing forged or unauthenticated domicile certificates claiming residency in the state, including bordering districts and those affected by Naxal militancy, the central probe agency said.
The charges involve the illegal appointment of undeserving candidates to CAPF positions. The probe also revealed that he had collected huge sums of money from candidates directly as well as through middlemen, promising them jobs.
The case was registered by the CBI in August 2023 following an order from the Calcutta High Court. Choudhary was arrested on January 31 after searches at multiple locations, officials added.
He was presented before the CBI court in Alipore and has been remanded to five days of police custody.