RAIPUR: Raipur Police arrested six persons from Haryana on Sunday in connection with a cheating racket targeting the national-level Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE).
During the operation led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Sandeep Patel (IPS), six persons were arrested and specialised electronic communication equipment were seized.
Acting on credible intelligence, a joint task force comprising the Raipur Police and the Anti-Crime and Criminal Unit (ACCU) established discreet surveillance around the ION Digital Zone in Sarona area of the state capital.
Officers intercepted individuals near the perimeter acting suspiciously and carrying unauthorised electronic gear and found that candidates inside the hall were equipped with concealed, microscopic Bluetooth devices.
The cheating scheme functioned through a two-way audio stream: candidates would read questions into their hidden microphones and accomplices stationed outside used search engines to find the correct answers that were relayed back to the candidates in real-time.
Interrogations further revealed that the syndicate didn't just provide the answers, they also supplied the "specialised hardware" required to bypass standard security checks.
In exchange for this "assistance," the accused reportedly charged candidates exorbitant sums of money.
Following the initial arrests outside, police coordinated with exam officials to identify and search specific candidates within the hall. These searches yielded further hidden Bluetooth devices, confirming the involvement of students in the conspiracy.
A case has been registered against the six accused with serious charges including BNS Sections 318(2) and 61(2) (relating to cheating and criminal conspiracy), Section 66 of the IT Act and Section 10 (1) of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act.
All accused individuals have been remanded to judicial custody, while investigators continue to track down other potential associates linked to the network.