The Delhi Police has busted a major cheating racket operating in examinations conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC). Following the results, the Delhi Police alerted the SSC about deficiencies discovered during the investigation. However, senior Crime Branch officials declined to comment.

New Delhi: The Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted a criminal network accused of cheating in several examinations, including those of the Delhi Police. Sources indicate that more than 16 people have been arrested in this case, including two police officers. A senior airport police officer confirmed that one of the officers was posted at the IGI Airport Police Station. The role of former police officers has also come to light.

Documents confirm that several suspects were produced in court and remanded. Following court arguments, some of the accused were recently granted bail. The operation, which was kept a closely guarded secret, covered areas including Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan.

Police told sensitive operation

The examination is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), and in light of the results, the Delhi Police has warned the SSC about the deficiencies revealed during the investigation. Senior Crime Branch officials declined to comment. Special CP (Crime) Devesh Srivastava said this is an ongoing and sensitive operation. DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, who led the operation, could not be reached despite repeated attempts.

Two superintendents of the examination center were also included.

According to sources, the Crime Branch has registered three FIRs. One of these FIRs was filed in Jodhpur by a team led by DCP (Crime) Harsh Indora and DCP (East, Jaipur Police) PD Nitya. A gang there was facilitating online cheating in the Delhi Police Head Constable (Ministerial) exam. Three suspects were arrested in the case, including two examination center superintendents. Since the exam was conducted online, the gang facilitated the cheating through a remote desktop application at a center in Khokhariya, under the jurisdiction of the Banar police station.

Admit cards found with the main accused

The main accused was Pemaram, the center head who helped several candidates by accepting bribes. Admit cards of candidates were recovered from him, along with details of conversations related to money transactions. However, this attempt at online cheating was "limited." According to the police, the second FIR is related to a larger and more organized racket that compromised other examinations conducted by the Delhi Police and the SSC.

Learn how the syndicate operated.

• The syndicate was demanding Rs 10 to 15 lakh from each candidate in exchange for getting them a permanent job.
• Before the examination, original admit card and educational certificates had to be submitted as security.
• The gang kept the documents with itself and returned them only after the full, hefty fee was paid.
• The result of the rigged examination has been declared recently.

The role of the owner of the examination center is suspicious.

What began as a quiet intelligence-gathering mission escalated into a large-scale operation. Investigators have confirmed that the operation was an inside job, carried out by those trusted to maintain the security of the examination process. Test center owners, technical administrators, and facilitators acted as intermediaries in the scam.

This is how the firewall was bypassed

The gang relied on a complex digital infrastructure. Their modus operandi was to install remote desktop applications on terminals at the centers without their permission. This breach was not carried out externally, but was facilitated by the network administrator; the accused deliberately bypassed the firewall and created a secret "digital bridge."

The real candidate used to stay at the desk.

These technicians installed special software that allowed external "solvers," often subject matter experts located elsewhere, to view the exam questions in real time. These solvers then entered the correct answers directly into the candidate's terminal, while the actual candidate remained seated at their desk. They simply imitated someone taking the exam, avoiding the sight of CCTV cameras or bystanders. At these compromised centers, invigilators were stationed away from the compromised terminals.

Using high speed internet

To maintain the stability of the remote connection, the syndicate used high-speed internet for a seamless cheating process, ensuring no lag that could alert the Staff Selection Commission's central monitoring system. Coordination was done through encrypted messaging apps, where the gang synced the exact timing of remote logins with the start times of exam shifts, creating a well-organized system of academic fraud.

 PC: NBT