Pimpri-Chinchwad police arrest five more people in recruitment scam
Continuing the investigation in the police recruitment scam in Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate the crime branch unit 4 on Monday arrested five more people
Continuing the investigation in the police recruitment scam in Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate the crime branch unit 4 on Monday arrested five more people. They were produced in court which granted them police custody till August 27.
To date, police have booked 75 and arrested 56 people in the case, said officials.
The accused arrested have been identified as Dnyaneshwar Sukhlal Chandel (29), a resident of Khamgaon village in Jalana district; Kartik alias Valmik Sadashiv Jarwal (23), a resident of Ekburji village in Aurangabad district; Arun Vikram Pawar (26), a resident of Anthrun village in Beed district; Arjun Vishnu Devkate (28), a resident of Kawadgaon village in Beed district and Amol Sambhaji Parekar (22), a resident of Bhogalwadi village in Beed district.
The written examination for recruitment of 720 police constables was held in six districts on November 19, 2021. Eligible candidates were called for a physical test on December 11. Later qualified candidates were called for document verification. On January 4, 2022, during document verification candidate Jivan Trimbak Kakarval (23), was caught producing fake documents. Police said discrepancies were found in the photo and signature of Kakarval. Police arrested him, and during interrogation, he confessed that he used a ‘dummy candidate’ to clear the physical exam and cleared the written exam by using electronic spy devices.
A first information report (FIR) was registered on January 4, 2022, against Kakarval, Ravindra Gusinge and Charansingh Kakarval, who held Kakarval in the exam, at Nigdi police station under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
During further investigation, police came to know that the racket operates from the Marathwada region and many people are involved in the scam.
Considering the gravity of the case, police have formed four teams consisting of two senior officials including two senior police inspectors, four assistant police inspectors, three police sub-inspectors and 28 police constables.
Police said to date they have booked more than 75 people in the case out of which 26 had appeared for the exam. Elaborating modus operandi police said, candidates were using electronic spy devices to clear written exams and many times they used dummy candidates to clear the physical exam.
Kakasaheb Dole, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissionerate, said, “As of now, we have busted six gangs involved in malpractices during recruitment exams. They mostly operate from rural parts of Aurangabad, Jalna and Beed district.”
Elaborating further Dole said, “These are frequent offenders and many of them are involved in Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) recruitment scam, medical department recruitment scam, talathi recruitment and forest department recruitment exams.”
“They generally charged ₹8-12 lakh per candidate to clear the exam, many times these rates vary from exam to exam,” he said.
During raids, police have seized more than 100 Bluetooth ear devices, 76 mobile handsets, 66 electronic spy devices, 22 walkie-talkie sets, 11 walkie-talkie chargers and ₹11 lakh cash, several sim cards, documents and inner wear used to fit spy devices.