JAIPUR: Jaipur police have arrested 14 people involved in the leakage of a question paper of an online examination conducted by the National Seeds Corporation.
The investigation has unearthed a sophisticated cheating network and revealed an alarming collusion between candidates, computer lab operators, and examination centre employees.
Among those arrested are computer lab operators and candidates who indulged in malpractice by using advanced software and digital tools during the examination.
The police have confiscated key evidence including six admit cards, seven signed blank cheques, three laptops, a Wi-Fi router, a printer-scanner, and Rs 1,68,500 in cash.
Eight suspects were detained by Jaipur police, while the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) apprehended six others.
However, two key masterminds behind the operation remain at large, with authorities intensifying their search efforts.
Initial investigations revealed that the cheating gang employed MEID software and other digital equipment to solve examination papers in real-time. Candidates had paid Rs 50,000 upfront for such services.
The gang's network extends beyond this exam, as evidence indicates their involvement in other recruitment tests, including a Railway Protection Force examination conducted in December 2024 at a centre in Sikar.
Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph stated that the National Seeds Corporation's computerized recruitment exam was targeted by cheating gangs.
Acting on intelligence, the police traced and detained suspects, uncovering the gang's elaborate cheating mechanism during interrogation.
Additional names linked to the operation have emerged, and further investigations are underway.
The paper leak scandal has reignited concerns about systemic vulnerabilities in Rajasthan's examination process.
Similar issues had also plagued the previous Congress-led government. Under the previous regime led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, paper leak cases were reported in nearly a dozen recruitment examinations for government jobs in Rajasthan.
The BJP had turned the paper leaks into a major poll issue in the assembly elections in the state last year.
Ironically, the paper leaks seem to remain a persistent problem despite the BJP's one-year rule.
With the state's examination integrity under scrutiny, authorities face mounting pressure to implement reforms and secure testing processes.