Punjab Police Busts Inter-State Cheating Racket

Punjab Police has dismantled a sophisticated inter-state cheating racket that operated during Sunday's pharmacy officer recruitment examination. The racket was busted after police detected the use of pen cameras and real-time dictation during the exam conducted for recruiting pharmacy officers at Faridkot and Ferozepur.

The police have detained seven key conspirators of the racket along with 28 candidates and seized 27 battery-operated wireless devices used for cheating. A candidate identified as Ayush in Ferozepur allegedly used a concealed pen camera to scan the question paper, which was sent to an accomplice, Sajan, in Bhiwani, Haryana, via WhatsApp.

The question paper was then forwarded to another operative of the racket, Deepak, who was stationed at a makeshift control room inside the residence of Gurmeet Singh in Society Nagar, Faridkot. From this location, key accused Manjit Singh and Deepak dictated the answers in real-time via wireless equipment to several candidates sitting inside the exam halls.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the mastermind behind the entire operation was Gurmeet Singh, an employee at the Sant Kabir Polytechnic College in Fazilka. The racket charged desperate candidates exorbitant sums ranging between Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 13 lakh to guarantee passing marks.

Several candidates had already handed over post-dated cheques as financial security to the scammers. The racket operated with corporate-level logistics, with several operatives gathering at a hotel on the Faridkot-Kotkapura Road to distribute the specialised, battery-operated wireless micro-devices to the compromised candidates.

A total of 28 candidates have been detained across Faridkot and Ferozepur for using these devices, 27 of which have been seized by police. Police also detained seven main operators of the racket from Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab, and raids are underway to arrest the remaining members of the gang.

An FIR is being registered in the case under the relevant sections of the law. The investigation conducted so far has found no official involvement or “insider” role in the matter. The police are continuing their investigation to uncover the full extent of the cheating racket.

The busting of the cheating racket is a significant achievement for the Punjab Police, who have been working to prevent such scams in the state. The use of advanced technology, such as pen cameras and wireless devices, highlights the sophistication of the racket and the need for vigilance in preventing such scams.

The incident also raises concerns about the vulnerability of recruitment examinations to cheating and the need for robust measures to prevent such scams. The police are working to ensure that the recruitment process is fair and transparent, and that those involved in the cheating racket are brought to justice.

In conclusion, the busting of the inter-state cheating racket is a significant achievement for the Punjab Police, and highlights the need for continued vigilance in preventing such scams. The incident also raises important questions about the integrity of recruitment examinations and the need for robust measures to prevent cheating.