35 Arrested After Police Unearth Cheating Racket In Punjab Pharmacy Officer Exam
Police expose organised exam fraud network during pharmacy officer recruitment test.
Punjab Police have uncovered an inter-state cheating racket allegedly involved in the Pharmacy Officer recruitment examination conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) in Faridkot. A total of 35 people, including seven alleged key conspirators and 28 candidates, have been arrested for allegedly using advanced electronic devices to cheat during the examination.
The accused candidates were allegedly found using miniature Bluetooth devices hidden inside turbans, socks and undergarments to receive answers during the recruitment test. Police officials said pen cameras and real-time answer dictation methods were also detected, with 27 battery-operated wireless devices seized during the investigation.
The examination was conducted to fill 454 Pharmacy Officer posts and saw participation from around 7,000 candidates. BFUHS organised the test on behalf of the Health and Family Welfare Department, with security arrangements including flying squads deployed across 18 examination centres in Faridkot, Kotkapura and Ferozepur to prevent malpractice.
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According to police officials, the racket came to light after flying squads found identical cheating equipment being used by multiple candidates during inspections. Investigators alleged that the operation involved a coordinated network in which question papers were captured during the examination and answers were transmitted to candidates through hidden communication devices.
Police said one candidate, identified as Ayush from Ferozepur, allegedly used a concealed pen camera to scan the question paper and sent images through WhatsApp to an associate named Sajan in Bhiwani, Haryana. The paper was allegedly forwarded to another person, Deepak, who operated from a temporary control room at the residence of Gurmeet Singh in Faridkot, from where answers were reportedly dictated to candidates in examination halls.
Investigators said the accused allegedly charged candidates between Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 13 lakh in exchange for helping them clear the recruitment examination. Police said some candidates had reportedly provided post-dated cheques as financial guarantees. Officials added that no evidence of a question paper leak or involvement of examination authorities has been found so far, stating that the alleged malpractice occurred after the exam began.
The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. Raids are underway to trace other suspected members of the network across Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Health officials said BFUHS has been asked to submit a detailed report, after which the government will decide the future course of action regarding the recruitment process.
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