Varanasi: The Kapsethi police on Sunday arrested Shreya Bharti, the actual candidate in the Uttar Pradesh Joint B.E Entrance Examination-2026 impersonation case, for allegedly hiring another woman to appear in the examination on her behalf. During interrogation, she allegedly admitted to arranging the impersonation through a middleman, while police said efforts are underway to identify and arrest others involved in the racket.The incident came to light during the UP Joint BEd Entrance Examination-2026 at Kalikadham PG College, Sevapuri, under the Kapsethi police station limits. Tanisha Kumari, a resident of Nawada district in Bihar, was allegedly caught attempting to take the examination in place of Shreya Bharti, a resident of Babupurwa Colony, Kidwai Nagar, Kanpur.According to police, Tanisha used a forged admit card, Aadhaar card and an edited photograph to impersonate Shreya. The examination centre superintendent, Prof. Anikesh Kumar Singh, detained the suspect and brought her to the Kapsethi police station.Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Kapsethi police station under Sections 319(2), 318(4), 338, 336(3) and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 7/13(3) and 8/13(5) of the Uttar Pradesh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. Tanisha Kumari was arrested on June 1 and sent to judicial custody.Following her arrest, a police team was constituted to trace the actual candidate, Shreya Bharti. Acting on a tip-off, the Kapsethi police arrested her on Sunday from Pooradalel in Allahapur, Prayagraj. Further legal proceedings are underway.During interrogation, Shreya allegedly told police that she had contacted a man identified as Roshan through her friend, Preeti. Roshan allegedly assured her that another woman would appear in the examination in her place. Shreya is alleged to have handed over her Aadhaar card, admit card and photograph to Roshan, who used them to prepare forged documents. He then allegedly sent Tanisha Kumari to Varanasi to take the examination on Shreya’s behalf.Police said Shreya admitted that she was aware of the plan and had willingly agreed to let another person appear in the examination in her place. Further investigation is underway to identify and take legal action against the other persons involved in the conspiracy.
