Patna: Three alleged members of an exam-fixing gang have been arrested in Patna after police uncovered what investigators say was a racket charging up to Rs 10 lakh to secure selection as a Bihar police constable.
The arrests were made near the gate of a government high school in the Gardanibagh area during the physical efficiency test for constable recruitment. Police identified the suspects as Sanjeev Kumar from Khagaria, Rahul Singh from Bhojpur and Santosh Kumar from New Anisabad.
During searches, officers recovered mobile phones containing photographs of at least 45 candidates’ admit cards, along with chat messages, transaction details and images of walkie-talkies, police said. Investigators believe the material points to a wider network of brokers and “solvers” involved in manipulating both written and physical stages of the recruitment process.
Two candidates, identified as Aman and Surajbhan, have also been arrested. Police said solvers had allegedly appeared in their place during the written examination. Both are being questioned as part of the same case.
Dr Anu Kumari, deputy superintendent of police (Secretariat-1), said authorities had received intelligence that intermediaries were extorting money from applicants by promising to help them clear the constable recruitment exams. Acting on the tip-off, a police team reached the examination centre, where three suspects attempted to flee before being detained.
“A case has been registered and further investigation is under way,” Kumari said, adding that raids were being conducted to trace other members of the gang whose names had emerged during questioning.
Police are verifying the admit cards found on the seized phones to determine whether the candidates linked to them had cleared the written examination and whether they appeared for the physical test. Financial transactions recovered from the devices are also being examined.
According to investigators, the gang charged between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 6 lakh to arrange for a substitute to sit the written exam on a candidate’s behalf. The price reportedly rose to as much as Rs 10 lakh for ensuring success in both the written and physical tests.
Officials said evidence suggested the group also used sophisticated methods to bypass biometric checks. Fingerprints were allegedly prepared using specialised techniques sourced from Kolkata. The fingerprint of the substitute candidate was then applied to the actual applicant’s finger before the physical test, allowing biometric verification to be evaded.
Police said the suspects had arrived near the physical examination site to execute this plan when they were arrested. Heightened vigilance by the recruitment commission and officials, following a series of fraud cases involving biometric mismatches, led to increased surveillance and the subsequent operation.
Authorities have said all candidates whose admit cards were found on the suspects’ phones will be identified and arrested. Investigators are analysing several suspicious phone numbers linked to the case and believe more names may surface in the coming days.
Police said the gang operated with two payment models: one for candidates seeking help only with the written exam, with part payment taken in advance and the remainder after results; and another for candidates wanting assistance with both written and physical stages, including the provision of forged fingerprints.
