Hisar, Feb 17: A prominent mountaineer from Haryana is among six individuals arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated cheating racket during the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). Narendra Kumar, a resident of Mingni Khera village in Hisar and an ambassador for the ‘Fit India Movement’, was apprehended in Raipur following an operation by the local police.
The investigation led by the Raipur police has been described as a significant exposure of a national-level network. Authorities seized multiple electronic gadgets, including micro Bluetooth earpieces and mobile phones, which were reportedly used to transmit exam questions to external solvers. The solvers would then dictate the answers back to candidates inside the examination hall in real time.
“All the accused were produced in the court, which sent them to judicial custody,” stated Rahul Dev Sharma, DCP West Zone, Raipur. He affirmed that the police had secured electronic devices and other relevant evidence from the suspects during the operation.
The group reportedly utilized a specific method where candidates would visit the washroom to activate concealed devices hidden in their ears or clothing. Suspicious behavior at the Sarona-based examination centre prompted officials to alert the police, who had already been maintaining discreet surveillance in the area.
Alongside Kumar, those arrested include residents from Jhajjar and Fatehabad. Records indicate that Kumar has previously been recognized for his mountaineering achievements, including hoisting the national flag on various international peaks.
A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act. The Raipur police maintained that the investigation is ongoing to determine if more individuals or organized modules are linked to this technological malpractice.
