21 held from UP over cheating during revenue officer exam

The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force have arrested 21 people, including students, 'solvers' and gang leaders, for allegedly using unfair means during the Lekhpal recruitment exam.

The solvers were writing answers with the help of a Bluetooth device.

The first arrests were made in Prayagraj where two 'solver' gang members -- Narendra Kumar Patel and Sandeep Patel -- were allegedly found solving the exam sitting in a car. They were arrested following a tip-off.

Their information led to further arrests from Kanpur, Lucknow, Moradabad, Varanasi, Gonda, and Bareilly later on Sunday.

Bluetooth devices have been recovered from all the arrested gang of solvers.

During the police interrogation, it was found that the gang of solvers had given Bluetooth devices to the candidates.

The bluetooth device was so small that it was not visible from outside the ear.

The bluetooth device's mic was embedded in an ATM card-like chip and this card was kept under the neck in the vest.

Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission Chairman, Praveer Kumar said that the Lekhpal recruitment Mains examination was conducted on Sunday at 501 centres in 12 districts of the state in which nearly 2.5 lakh candidates appeared.

Kumar added that the centres for the single-shift examination were in Ayodhya, Aligarh, Agra, Bareilly, Meerut, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, Moradabad, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow and Varanasi.

The STF also arrested the kingpin of the racket, Vijay Kant Patel near Gohri Soroan road under the limits of Phaphamau police station in trans-Ganga area of Prayargaj district.

The STF also seized 15 bluetooth ear buds, six SIM cards, six earbud cells, nine Bluetooth device cards, 10 mobile sets, one SUV, one PAN card, one DL and Rs 620 cash from their possession.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Prayagraj), Shailesh Kumar Pandey, said, "The kingpin of the racket, Vijay Kant told the police that after passing his polytechnic exam in 2012, he came in contact with a notorious copying mafia in Prayagraj. He then came to know about modus operandi of copying mafia and his racket for luring aspirants of various competitive exams."

After quitting his job in 2019, Vijay Kant completely involved himself in selection of candidates in various competitive exams in exchange of money and also managed to ensure their selections.

An FIR under section 419 and 420 of the IPC, Section 66 D of the IT act, and Section 3,4 and 10 of Uttar Pradesh Sarvajanik Pariksha Adhiniyam was registered with Phaphamau police station in this connection.