Crackdown on inter-state cheating racket; 53 held in Itanagar
A cheating network allegedly operates from Haryana with suspected links to syndicates across India
Itanagar, May 21: In a major crackdown on an inter-state cheating racket, the Capital Police in Itanagar has arrested 53 candidates involved in unfair practices during the CBSE-conducted recruitment examinations held on May 18 for the posts of laboratory assistant and junior secretariat assistant under the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS).
The statement was made by Itanagar SP Rohit Rajbir Singh on Tuesday.
Acting on credible inputs from school authorities, teams from the Niti Vihar and Chimpu Police Stations conducted swift operations across multiple examination centres. At Kingcup Public School, 23 candidates were caught with GSM-enabled devices and micro earpieces during pre-examination frisking.
Another individual – a Haryana resident – was detained at VKV, Itanagar, with concealed equipment. Subsequent investigation led to the arrest of more suspects and the recovery of 29 electronic gadgets allegedly used for cheating, the SP told the press during a press conference in Itanagar.
The accused have been booked under stringent provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
Preliminary investigations revealed a well-orchestrated cheating network allegedly being operated from Haryana, with suspected links to wider syndicates across India. Candidates were reportedly promised guaranteed selection in return for hefty payments. They were trained to use hidden devices, through which answers were communicated by handlers during the objective-type examinations.
Police has recovered incriminating digital evidence, including call logs, SIM cards, and WhatsApp chats, all of which are currently under forensic examination to trace deeper connections and understand the full scale of the operation, the SP said, adding that key handlers and middlemen involved in orchestrating the racket have been identified, and a police team has been dispatched to Haryana to apprehend them.
Additionally, the CBSE has been formally informed and is cooperating fully with the investigation.
Reports of similar cheating patterns from examination centres in Gangtok, Chandigarh, and Shimla have raised concerns of a nationwide scam. Authorities have vowed strict action to uphold the sanctity of public examinations.