Bhubaneswar: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri on Wednesday lodged a formal complaint at Singhadwar police station after bogus appointment orders surfaced for positions in the Jagannath temple squad, raising suspicion of an organised racket aimed at duping the youth.The forged letters, dated July 21, carried a counterfeit seal of the temple office and a falsified signature resembling that of SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee, creating the illusion of official sanction.More than 50 men from different districts reportedly received these documents, which falsely claimed that their recruitment had been endorsed by the Odisha Administrative Tribunal.Temple authorities have clearly termed the papers fraudulent, stressing that neither SJTA nor any govt body has initiated such hiring. Officials clarified that no advertisement or notification for recruitment to the so‑called squad has ever been issued.“We noticed these fabricated letters circulating on social media. Our officer on special duty (security), Hemanta Kumar Padhi, has been tasked with conducting an internal probe. At the same time, we have filed an FIR demanding strict action against those behind this fraud,” Padhee told TOI.The administration has appealed to the public not to be misled by sham job offers or unofficial messages being shared online.Police have begun an investigation. “We are treating the matter with utmost seriousness. A comprehensive inquiry will be undertaken to track down those who created and distributed the forged appointment orders,” said SP (Puri) Prateek Singh.Officers suspect a wider conspiracy and said their immediate priority is to identify the recipients of the fake letters. “We will question the youths to ascertain how they obtained the documents and whether any money changed hands. Our cyber team is also examining social media accounts that circulated these letters,” a Singhadwar police officer said.Police further advised aspirants to rely only on official SJTA or govt channels for recruitment information. “Anyone who has been cheated with promises of temple jobs should approach their local police station and register a complaint,” the officer added.
