Palampur, June 16 – The Kangra district police have busted a cheating racket tied to the Himachal Pradesh Police Constable Recruitment Examination, arresting two key accused from the Jawali area for deploying proxies to impersonate candidates during Sunday’s test.
Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri said the action followed a tip-off about unlawful assistance being offered to candidates. A joint team from the Security Branch and Palampur Police detained several suspects outside an exam centre in Palampur.
During preliminary questioning, it emerged that Vikram and Balvinder alias Sonu Jaryal were behind the operation. The duo had allegedly offered to get candidates through the exam using imposters in exchange for money.
“Some candidates were questioned on the spot. Based on evidence, a case was registered under Sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Palampur Police Station,” SP Agnihotri said.
Both accused have prior history of exam-related fraud. Their names had appeared in the 2022 police recruitment paper leak and the 2019 Bluetooth cheating scandal during the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti exam in Shimla, which saw 35 arrests.
Police have so far questioned seven individuals and are now investigating whether the operation had wider links or involved internal collusion.
The SP assured that a detailed probe is underway to uncover the full extent of the cheating network and ensure integrity in the recruitment process.
