Bihar: Fake Candidates, Bribed Officials, and a Rs 20 Lakh Deal Per Student for Manipulating Loco Pilot Exam
Patna/Purnia: In a major crackdown on exam fraud, police teams from Patna and Purnia have arrested two key members of an exam mafia network. The arrests were made during a raid at Swami Ayyappan Online Exam Center in Gardanibagh. The accused, identified as Roshan Kumar alias Roshan Mukhiya from Nalanda and Rahul Raj from Nursarai, were allegedly involved in manipulating the Loco Pilot recruitment exam.
During interrogation, the arrested suspects admitted to fixing deals with 10 candidates, charging ₹20 lakh each to guarantee their selection. Their plan was to amass a total of ₹2 crore through this racket.
Roshan Kumar had been absconding for four months after being accused of fraud in the SSC MTS exam. He and Rahul Raj were running an online exam center and had plans to set up another in Saharsa.
According to the police, Swami Ayyappan Edu Solution Exam Center is owned by Roshan Mukhiya, JDU leader Roshan Mandal from Katihar, and Vivek from Vaishali.
Purnia SP Kartikey Kumar Sharma stated, “A fraud in the Staff Selection Commission’s MTS exam was exposed in Purnia last year. On November 14, 2024, police raided the online exam center and arrested 35 individuals. However, the masterminds—Roshan Kumar and Rahul Raj—managed to escape and had been on the run since then. Continuous raids were conducted, and notices were pasted at their residences. Both were finally apprehended from Patna.”
दिनांक 13.11.2024 को कर्मचारी चयन आयोग की परीक्षा में फर्जीवाड़ा करने वाले दो फरार प्राथमिकी अभियुक्त को साइबर थाना के द्वारा कल दिनांक 20.03.2025 को किया गया गिरफ्तार। @bihar_police @BiharHomeDept @IPRDBihar #bihar #purnea pic.twitter.com/aQ8vR44sww
— Purnea Police (@PurneaSp) March 21, 2025
During the search operation, police recovered crucial documents from the Patna exam center, including records of students who had allegedly arranged for help in railway exams. The duo also named three additional partners involved in the scam, and police have launched a manhunt to nab them.
This case is linked to the Purnia Digital Online Examination Center at Hasda Road Zero Mile, Gulabbag, under Sadar police station limits. On November 14, 2024, a raid at this center during the SSC MTS exam led to the arrest of 35 individuals, including:
- 12 fake candidates
- 14 original candidates
- 7 staff members
- 2 brokers
- The center operator and a flying observer
The FIR filed at the Cyber Police Station on November 15, 2024, revealed a shocking connection between the exam center operators and SSC officials. The accused—Vivek Kumar (center operator), Roshan Kumar, and Rahul Raj—were allegedly in close contact with Izhar Alam, an SSC official posted in the Prayagraj office of SSC Central Region. Alam, who was assigned as a flying observer at the exam center, is suspected of facilitating the fraud.
Investigations indicate that the center operator had struck a ₹10 lakh deal with original candidates and arranged for fake candidates at rates ranging from ₹80,000 to ₹1.5 lakh to appear for the exam on their behalf.
The police are now working to identify and apprehend the remaining members of this racket. The case has once again highlighted the deep-rooted problem of exam fraud and the need for stricter monitoring and accountability in online examination centers.
