By Sunil Jena, Editor-in-Chief | The Politics Odia
Bhubaneswar: The controversy surrounding the Odisha Police Sub-Inspector recruitment exam scam has taken another explosive turn, this time involving top editors of leading Odia newspapers. Allegations have emerged that two prominent editors, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik of Sambad and Tathagata Satpathy of Dharitri, deliberately downplayed or suppressed news related to the ₹200-crore SI exam scandal to protect Chief Minister Mohan Majhi’s image.
On the front pages of these newspapers, the major headlines were dominated by government advertisements and reports about a prisoner’s jailbreak, while the sensational SI exam scam a story that has shaken Odisha, was pushed to the inner pages. Critics have alleged that this editorial decision was aimed at shielding the BJP government and minimising public outrage.
Meanwhile, the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) held a strong press conference at Shankha Bhavan on Thursday, accusing the state government of being directly involved in the massive recruitment scam. Senior BJD leader Prashant Muduli and party spokesperson and media coordinator Dr Lenin Mohanty demanded that the case be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), claiming that the magnitude of the corruption warranted a central probe.
According to BJD, the written exam for Sub-Inspector and other police posts, scheduled for October 5 and 6, was compromised by a deep-rooted network of brokers, with each deal allegedly fixed at around ₹25 lakh per candidate.
The controversy has now sparked not only political outrage but also a heated debate on media ethics in Odisha. Questions are being raised over the role of major newspapers and whether financial and political pressures are influencing editorial independence.
As the issue unfolds, the demand for a transparent, high-level investigation and an honest media response continues to grow louder across the state.
