THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With its recruitment exam hit by major fraud, the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) has cancelled the written test conducted on Sunday.
The exam to the posts of Technician-B, Draughtsman-B and Radiographer-A were cancelled following a report by the Thiruvananthapuram city police pointing out a ‘hi-tech fraud’ involving a Haryana-based racket.
The VSSC, in an official statement, said the revised exam schedule would be informed through its website later.
Meanwhile, the police team probing the exam fraud arrested one more person -- Amit, hailing from Haryana -- on Monday. According to sources, three more Haryana natives are in police custody.
As per the police report, the accused cheated VSSC by impersonating two candidates and using electronic gadgets in the examination. The police had on Sunday arrested two persons who wrote the exams in the names of two applicants -- Sunil and Sumith.
The names of the accused who appeared for the exams for Sumith and Sunil are Manoj Kumar and Gautham Chauhan, respectively. The accused had reached the state by flight and were planning to return by air after the exam. The police said the accused are part of a large racket centred around a coaching centre in Haryana.
Cops suspect the involvement of more people
They collect large sums from job aspirants, after promising jobs at VSSC and other allied institutions. The racket has a special team to impersonate candidates in various competitive exams, the police said.
“We have contacted the Haryana police and they will coordinate the probe in that state. We suspect more people are involved in the fraud, “ said Ajith V, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Thiruvananthapuram.
Manoj Kumar and Gautham Chauhan were taken into custody from two different exam centres while engaged in cheating using smart watches, Bluetooth headsets, and mobile phones.
The police had prior information about aspirants from Haryana attempting to cheat, and the matter was conveyed to invigilators. The precaution paid off as the two were caught red-handed. Police said Manoj was nabbed from the exam centre at St Mary’s School, Pattom, while Gautham Chauhan was apprehended from Cotton Hill School, Vazhuthacaud.