Over 50 students from Haryana have been arrested in Arunachal Pradesh in a mass exam cheating racket. The students, taking a recruitment exam conducted by CBSE for non-teaching posts at the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, used electronic devices linked to Jind, Haryana. While the students have been arrested, the police are searching for a mastermind or people who orchestrated the operation from 2,600 km away in Haryana.
On May 18, CBSE conducted recruitment exams for non-teaching posts, including Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA) and Lab Attendant (LA), with exam centers located at VKV Chimpu and Kingcup Public School in Itanagar.
During the Lab Attendant exam in the evening, Arunachal Pradesh Police were called to the Kingcup Public School to investigate a student due to his suspicious behaviour. The student had a small electronic device and a tiny earpiece.
23 candidates were apprehended from the exam centre. Another suspect was caught at the Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya. Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of the rest of the accused.
"The exam was halted for a brief period. Upon deep investigation, we found that students who appeared in the other exam in the morning also had such devices. They were intercepted," Superintendent of Police (Capital) Rohit Rajbir Singh said, addressing a press conference.
More students were arrested from hotels and nearby areas, the Police said.
"53 candidates have been arrested for attempting to use advanced electronic devices, including GSM-enabled gadgets and micro earpieces, to cheat during the exams. From them, 29 devices were seized, and many of those arrested have already confessed to their crimes," Mr Singh said.
According to the police, the candidates were in touch with a syndicate that claimed to help clear any exam. The candidates were asked to choose remote areas as their exam centres to exploit perceived security lapses, Mr Singh said.
Once admit cards were issued, candidates were provided with GSM-based devices and trained in their discreet use.
Explaining the cheating process, Mr Singh said, "The electronic device is hidden in undergarments and a tiny earpiece, which isn't visible with the naked eye, is fitted deep inside the ear. This enabled real-time communication with external handlers. To begin with, candidates are asked which question paper set they have. They give options - A, pause, B, pause, and C. Students use the pause between options to reply; a cough serves as an answer. And then the person on the other side dictates answers."
The police suspect that the question paper was leaked.
Mr Singh further stated that similar suspicious activities have been reported at other centers in Dimapur, Sikkim, and Dehradun - all of which are now under active investigation.
The case has been registered against 53 individuals under the newly introduced Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology (IT) Act, and the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
The police are now working with interstate counterparts to trace the wider network behind the operation.
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