Chennai: An interstate examination fraud racket was busted at the Indian Air Force (IAF) training centre in Avadi after officials caught four youths from Haryana, two writing a clerk recruitment test on behalf of other candidates and two others using miniature SIM-enabled earpieces to receive answers from outside the examination hall.The fraud surfaced during the Agniveer Vayu written examination held on Sunday for lower division clerk and civilian mechanical transport driver roles. The test, conducted to fill just four vacancies, attracted around 1,800 candidates from across the country.According to police, the racket came to light after invigilators noticed that the photograph on one candidate’s admit card did not match the person who had appeared for the examination. “He managed to get inside the exam hall after the initial checking usually done by security guards. However, inside the exam hall, invigilators conducted another check, which found that R Gourav, 21, of Thua village in Haryana’s Jind district, had arrived to write the test in place of S Aman Kumar. He was immediately taken to his room for a search,” said a police officer.In the room, IAF officers and police found three bags. During questioning, Gourav allegedly revealed that three more suspects were involved, one appearing for another candidate and two others using concealed electronic devices to receive answers. Acting on the information, officials alerted invigilators and identified the second accused, S Anil, 27, also from Haryana’s Jind district, who had arrived on behalf of H Sunil, a police officer said.Based on Gourav’s disclosure, officials also identified and detained D Sawan, 25, of Thua village and C Deepak, 24, of Ramna Patti in Haryana’s Jind district. The two were found with SIM-enabled GSM earpieces, each less than a centimetre in size, and concealed inside their ears. Investigators said the devices were meant to receive answers relayed by handlers outside the exam centre. However, the earpieces became ineffective after a signal jammer installed at the venue blocked the transmission.All four accused were later handed over to the Muthapudupet police. During interrogation, the accused admitted that they had received an advance of ₹50,000 each to either write the examination on behalf of candidates or facilitate cheating using the electronic devices. Police said they were promised the remaining payment after the candidates cleared the recruitment process. Muthaputhupet police also seized a bluetooth dual SIM GSM Box, a bluetooth earpiece, eight cell phones, and 10 SIM cards.Investigators are now trying to trace the original candidates who hired the accused, identify the middlemen who arranged the operation and supplied the communication devices, and ascertain whether the group is part of a larger interstate network.Muthapudupet police have registered a case, and further investigation is on. On Nov 9, 2024, a 25-year-old youth from Haryana named Praveen Kumar was arrested for impersonating another candidate.
