Chandigarh fireman, DU staffer among 7 held in govt exam cheating racket

A fireman with the Chandigarh Fire Department and a lab attendant at Delhi University’s Lady Irwin College were among seven people arrested for allegedly running an interstate racket that facilitated cheating in government recruitment examinations, the Delhi Police said on Friday

A fireman with the Chandigarh Fire Department and a lab attendant at Delhi University’s Lady Irwin College were among seven people arrested for allegedly running an interstate racket that facilitated cheating in government recruitment examinations, the Delhi Police said on Friday.

Police said a case has been registered (Photo for representation)

Police recovered customised mobile phones, Bluetooth devices fitted with SIM cards, nano earpieces, a tablet linked to a foreign WhatsApp account, and other electronic devices and incriminating documents. They identified 31-year-old fireman Sonu Kumar, alias Sonu Maan, as the alleged kingpin of the racket.

Deputy commissioner of police (west) Hareshwar V Swami said the investigation began after Central Sanskrit University lodged a complaint on July 26 alleging the use of unfair means during the lower division clerk (LDC) recruitment examination conducted at KVS, C-2, Janakpuri.

During checks at the examination centre, police recovered a customised mobile phone from a 24-year-old woman candidate and a Bluetooth device fitted with a SIM card along with nano earpieces from another candidate, 23-year-old Hemant.

Police registered a case under Section 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 3, 4, 10 and 11 of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act at Janakpuri police station. Both candidates were arrested and the electronic devices seized.

“Hemant’s interrogation revealed that his 30-year-old brother, Rinku, had arranged the Bluetooth device and SIM card through a man identified as Virender for ₹12 lakh to enable him to receive answers from outside the examination hall. Accordingly, Rinku and Virender, 38, were arrested. The arrested woman disclosed that her friend, Sanni, had given her the devices to transmit the question paper and receive answers. The deal was fixed for ₹10 lakh,” Swami said.

Further investigation led to the arrest of 30-year-old Sanni, a lab attendant at Lady Irwin College, the DCP said. Police alleged that Sanni acted as an intermediary, connecting candidates with the racket’s kingpin in exchange for a commission. During interrogation, he identified another alleged member of the racket, Deepak, 26, and said the deal for the woman candidate had been struck for ₹8 lakh.

“Based on technical surveillance, social media analysis and secret information, Deepak was identified and arrested. During interrogation, he disclosed that he was working under the instructions of Sonu Maan, the 31-year-old alleged mastermind of the racket. Further technical surveillance and intelligence inputs led investigators to Dadri Bypass Road in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, where Maan was arrested while allegedly facilitating cheating in another government recruitment examination,” Swami said.

Police alleged that Maan arranged customised electronic devices for candidates, procured leaked question papers, prepared answer keys and transmitted them to candidates through a network of agents. During his arrest, investigators recovered a tablet linked to a foreign WhatsApp account, a customised mobile phone, three Bluetooth devices, four nano earpieces, and other electronic devices and documents.

A senior official at the Lady Irwin College, requesting anonymity, said the administration was aware that Sanni had not been reporting for duty in recent days but had no information about the case.

“Sanni works as a lab attendant in the Department of Food and Nutrition. However, he has been absent for the past 10 to 12 days without applying for leave,” the official said.

“After the department informed the administration, we contacted him seeking an explanation for his prolonged absence. A family member later visited the college and informed us that Sanni was unwell,” the official added.

Queries sent to Central Sanskrit University remained unanswered till late Friday.