Rampant leaks and cancellation of exams has been the norm for umpteen number of state-level examinations across the country, including in big states like Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Here is the modus operandi of gangs involved in five major exam leak cases in the country
The alleged leak and irregularities in the conduct of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) has shaken the nation now, but rampant leaks and cancellation of exams has been the norm for umpteen number of state-level examinations across the country, including in big states like Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.
It is mostly to these states that the leak of a national-level exam like NEET has been traced. Here is the modus operandi of gangs involved in five major exam leak cases in the country:
Rajasthan Teacher Recruitment Scam
With 26 paper leaks over the past decade, 14 of which were in the last three to four years, Rajasthan has had a tough time catching the culprits of the leaks. The leaks affected over 40 lakh students. Local investigating agencies found that the paper leaks were at the level of the examination centres.
The modus operandi included two persons of the gang procuring paper from the exam centre, which was then solved by one or two members. The solved papers are then handed over to another set of people who leak them to students before they reach the exam centres.
The gang leader used to run a coaching centre, which also was the ground for their operations. The gang leader had his associates inside the exam centres, who would enter the area a few hours before the exam, open the sealed box in which papers were kept and made photocopies of it. The photocopies of the question paper were handed over to a gang member who solved the questions, which were then passed on through the coaching staff to the candidates in return for money.
Himachal Pradesh Police Constable Recruitment Scam
In March this year, the CBI filed a chargesheet in a 2022 police constable recruitment scam in the state, where it said that two Bihar residents identified as Bharat Kumar Yadav (from Lakhisarai) and Arvind (from Nawada) stole the question papers and sold them to candidates for Rs 3-5 lakh through middlemen at Mandi, Kangra, Chandigarh, Panchkula, Zirakpur and Mohali, among other places. The investigating agencies found that an organised network of paper leakage is active with a fixed modus operandi.
The gang kingpins get a schedule of public examinations to be held all over the country, upon which they secure the question paper through their network. The gang then identifies potential candidates through a network of coaching classes and agents. The question paper is then leaked to students for a set amount. The gang leaders change their phones and SIM cards every week to avoid detection and arrest.
Gujarat Head Clerk Exam Paper Leak of 2021
In this case, investigators found that the question paper was leaked from the printing press. In 2021, the Gujarat Subordinate Services Selection Board (GSSSB) had announced recruitment for 186 seats for the position of Head Clerk. The examination was conducted in December 2021, at around 700 centres across the state, which saw 88,000 candidates appearing for it. The question paper was leaked for Rs 10 lakh-15 lakh, following which the exam was cancelled.
The paper was leaked from the printing press with which the Board had tied up for printing of question papers. The state police had arrested over 30 people in the case, including the printing press supervisor as the main accused.
UP Police Constable Recruitment Exam Leak
The exam conducted for recruitment of police constables in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) was leaked earlier this year in which the UP police’s Special Task Force (STF) made a major arrest in March. The gang’s modus operandi involved making stolen question papers available to potential candidates for substantial amount of money. The gang would target students preparing for such examinations. The kingpin of the gang, arrested from Muzaffarnagar, was found in possession of admit cards of students for the exam and a handwritten question paper.
OSSC Junior Engineer (JE) Exam Paper Leak
Odisha Staff Selection Committee’s (OSSC) JE exam paper was leaked last July. In this case, too, the leak happened from the printing press where the question papers were sent for printing.
The alleged mastermind of the leak was a native of Bihar while the leak was done through a person in the printing press located in West Bengal. The commission had tied up with the press in Bengal for printing the question papers. The alleged accused had got information of the paper to be conducted in July, which was going to be printed from this press. Six associates of the accused, as identified by the state police, were mostly teachers. Upon the leak, the exam was cancelled and conducting of a fresh exam was announced by the state government.
