Probes reveal how loopholes are used to rig multiple govt exams

In an eight-month-long discreet probe, the Pimpri Chinchwad police unearthed large-scale malpractices in 14 different government recruitment processes in the state using dummy candidates and also hidden electronic devices to rig exams.

The Cyber Crime Cell of the neighbouring jurisdiction of Pune City Police has been probing since last October interconnected cases in which five different Maharashtra government recruitment processes were allegedly compromised by a nexus of senior government office bearers, middlemen and private players and candidates. The cases include those of paper leaks in two state Health Department exams of Group C and D, tampering of assessment of papers in TET of two years of 2018 and 2019-20 and a leak of the paper for recruitment in Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA).

TIll now, these interconnected five probes have seen over 80 arrests, including senior government officials, several middlemen, people from private entities contracted for recruitment processes, coaching class owners and candidates, and has also seen seizure of assets worth over multiple crores allegedly amassed by these people. The coordinated probe by five teams from the Cyber Crime Cell has brought to light a widespread nexus through which government recruitment processes were compromised. The probe into these cases revealed nine different methods used by the suspects to tamper with the examination system. The suspects have made Pune police investigators aware of a countrywide network of racketeers involved in paper leaks across India and of a training centre that gives tutorials on methods of leaking the exam papers.

In March, the Pune Police chargesheeted 15 accused persons, including IAS officer Sushil Khodwekar in the case in which results of over 7,800 candidates appearing for the statewide Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) of 2019-20 were tampered with either by altering the answer sheets or by giving fake passing certificates to those who had been disqualified. The government has recently disqualified these 7,880 candidates and initiated action against them.

In February and March 2021, the Pune police probed a paper leak in the Army recruitment exam following an input from the Military Intelligence. The sleuths from Military Intelligence of the Army conducted a joint operation with Pune police’s Crime Branch and seized question papers of a pan-India exam slated to be conducted in February 2021. The primary probe revealed that the suspected leaked paper was a 100 percent match to the original question paper, following which the Army cancelled the entire process. As part of the probe, Pune police arrested one Lieutenant Colonel, two officers of Major rank, one serving soldier and four ex-servicemen and other civilians. Days after the leak came to light, the Indian Army had said that the existing system of recruitment process will be made more foolproof and robust by incorporating the findings of joint investigation by Army authorities and Maharashtra police.

Multiple senior officers overseeing probes of the recruitment scams have said that serious lacunae in the recruitment processes were successfully used by the racketeers with the help of insiders. Investigators have suggested introduction of biometric systems, video surveillance and monitoring and stricter checks with the agency that handles the exam process. Some of these methods are being used in many of the recent processes. Officials said there are two entities that keep popping up in these probes — private coaching classes and technology providers for these processes. An officer, who is part of these probes, said there needs to be a regulatory mechanism for the coaching classes and a better screening process and monitoring of the technology provider companies.