High-Tech Cheating Racket Busted in Shimla: 40 Arrested in Navodaya Recruitment Exam Scam
What was meant to be a routine recruitment exam for lab assistant posts turned into a major scandal in Shimla, as police uncovered a sophisticated cheating racket involving high-tech gadgets and interstate coordination.
On Sunday, during the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti’s recruitment exam, invigilators noticed suspicious behavior at several exam centers across the city. Their quick reporting led to a swift police operation—and the arrest of 40 candidates, all from Haryana, who were allegedly using Bluetooth devices and other electronic tools to receive answers from outside the exam halls.
Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Gandhi confirmed the arrests and revealed that this wasn’t just a one-off incident. “Our preliminary investigation points to a well-organized interstate gang that has been targeting recruitment exams across multiple states,” he said.
The cheating network reportedly used concealed devices to transmit answers in real time, exposing serious vulnerabilities in the examination system. The arrests were made across four police jurisdictions—Chhota Shimla (13), Dhalli (12), New Shimla (8), and Sadar (7)—and five FIRs have been registered under the newly enacted Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, along with Section 61(2) of the Indian Justice Code.
To dig deeper into the racket, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Additional SP Ratan Negi has been formed. The team includes eight officers with expertise in both technical surveillance and field operations. Authorities believe this may just be the tip of the iceberg, with potential links to similar scams in other states.
This incident has sparked serious concerns about the integrity of public recruitment exams and the growing misuse of technology in organized exam fraud. With the new Public Examination Act now in force, this case is likely to set a precedent for how such crimes are handled going forward.
As the investigation unfolds, more arrests may follow—and the pressure is now on authorities to tighten exam security and restore public trust in the recruitment process.
