10 Arrested for Cheating in UP PET Exam

The Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested 10 men for allegedly using unfair means in the Preliminary Eligibility Test (PET) conducted by the state's Subordinate Services Selection Commission.

Modus Operandi

According to a press statement issued by the STF on Saturday, the accused allegedly used unfair means, including Bluetooth devices, during the exam. Those arrested include gang leaders Deepak Kumar Patel and Ajay Kumar Patel. While the former was arrested from Pratapgarh, the latter was held from Prayagraj, officials said.

The other arrested people were Dileep, Sujit Kumar, Pankaj Kumar, Jitendra Kumar Verma, Anurag Kumar, Ravindra Singh, and Udayveer Singh, the STF said. The exam hall in-charge at a center in Varanasi was also arrested, it added.

Action Taken

The STF has lodged FIRs against the accused under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and initiated an investigation.

Sources in the STF said those arrested either used a hidden in-ear Bluetooth device for writing the exam or appeared as solvers. A solver is one who takes an exam in place of a genuine candidate, using fake credentials in lieu of money.

The STF has seized four Bluetooth devices, eight mobile phones, and other items from the possession of the accused.

UPSSSC PET Exam

The Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) conducted the exam at 1,058 centers across 35 districts of the state.

Arrests in Muzaffarnagar and Deoria

A man was arrested in Muzaffarnagar for posing as a candidate and appearing in the PET. Satender Kumar was arrested on Sunday for appearing as Manoj Kumar at the DAV Inter College exam center in Muzaffarnagar. Station House Officer (SHO) at the Civil Lines police station Sanjay Kumar Singh told reporters that a case has been registered against Kumar under various IPC sections. A fake Aadhaar card and a fake admission card have been seized from Kumar.

In Deoria, four men -- Mukesh Singh from Patna appearing in place of Suresh Lal a resident of Mau, Rakesh Ranjan from Navada appearing in place of Umashankar a resident of Mau, Omprakash Mahto from Siwan appearing in place of Jaihind Yadav a resident of Mau and Sinha Abhishek Kumar from Navada appearing in place of Anjesh a resident of Mau -- have been arrested, Circle Officer Sadar Yash Tripathi said on Sunday. He added that the accused were arrested on Saturday.

The arrests made by the STF in connection with the cheating in the UPSSSC PET exam highlight the lengths to which some individuals are willing to go to gain an unfair advantage. The use of Bluetooth devices and impersonation of candidates are serious offenses that undermine the integrity of the examination process. The STF's swift action in apprehending the accused is a warning to those who may be considering engaging in such malpractices.