DEHRADUN: In a major crackdown on recruitment fraud, the Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) has dismantled a sophisticated cheating syndicate during the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Multi-Tasking (Non-Technical) Staff and Havaldar Recruitment Examination 2025. Two key operatives were arrested for allegedly promising candidates guaranteed success in exchange for hefty bribes.
The accused, identified as Nitish Kumar and Bhaskar Naithani, were apprehended following a joint operation by the Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh STF units. The team raided Mahadev Digital Zone, located within the premises of MKP Inter College in Dehradun, while the examination was in progress.
Inspector General (STF) Nilesh Bharne said the gang had allegedly demanded up to Rs 10 lakh per candidate to facilitate success in the competitive examination. “We have sealed the examination centre and seized several high-tech electronic devices used for cheating,” he said.
The SSC MTS and Havaldar examination is a nationwide recruitment drive conducted by the Government of India for posts under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN).
The STF had been on heightened alert following intelligence inputs about organised cheating rackets targeting central recruitment examinations. According to officials, both the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand STF units received specific information that a syndicate was misleading candidates and attempting to deploy advanced technology to leak or solve examination papers for money.
Acting on these leads, the joint team conducted the raid at the Dehradun centre. Preliminary investigations suggest the gang targeted vulnerable aspirants by promising guaranteed selection through unfair means.
The arrests come under the stringent provisions of the Uttarakhand Competitive Examination (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Ordinance, 2023, enacted to curb examination malpractices and paper leaks. The law is regarded as one of the toughest in the country.
Under the provisions of the Act:
Organisers of examination scams can face life imprisonment.
Fines may extend up to ₹10 crore.
Authorities may attach properties belonging to the accused.
The STF is continuing its interrogation of the accused to identify other members of the syndicate and ascertain whether any candidates had already paid bribes. Officials reiterated the state’s zero-tolerance policy towards recruitment fraud and cautioned students against falling prey to such rackets.