Punjab Police has successfully dismantled a sophisticated inter-state cheating racket that operated during Sunday’s pharmacy officer recruitment examination, officials announced. The racket was busted after police detected the use of pen cameras and real-time dictation during the exam, which was conducted for recruiting pharmacy officers at centres in Faridkot and Ferozepur.
Seven key conspirators of the racket, along with 28 candidates, have been detained by the police. Additionally, 27 battery-operated wireless devices used for cheating were seized. The investigation revealed that the mastermind behind the operation was Gurmeet Singh, an employee at the Sant Kabir Polytechnic College in Fazilka. The racket charged desperate candidates exorbitant sums ranging between Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 13 lakh to guarantee passing marks.
According to the police, the breach occurred entirely in real-time after the exam commenced, and no leak of paper or involvement of officials has been found so far. The racket operated with corporate-level logistics, with several operatives gathering at a hotel on the Faridkot-Kotkapura Road to distribute the specialized wireless micro-devices to the compromised candidates on the morning of the exam.
A candidate identified as Ayush in Ferozepur allegedly used a concealed pen camera to scan the question paper, which was sent to an accomplice, Sajan, in Bhiwani, Haryana, via WhatsApp. Sajan then forwarded the question paper to another operative of the racket, Deepak, who was stationed at a makeshift control room inside Gurmeet Singh’s residence in Society Nagar, Faridkot. From this location, key accused Manjit Singh and Deepak dictated the answers in real-time via wireless equipment to several candidates sitting inside the exam halls.
Police have detained seven main operators of the racket from Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab, and raids are underway to arrest the remaining members of the gang. An FIR is being registered in the case under the relevant sections of the BNS and the Information Technology Act.
