SOG cracks exam dummy candidates racket, 3 arrested

Jaipur: Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) Saturday arrested three accused in separate cases linked to impersonation in recruitment examinations, officials said.

Police have identified the accused as Manohar Lal, Ashok Jani and Sunil, who allegedly acted as dummy candidates to help original applicants secure govt jobs.

According to ADG (SOG) Vishal Bansal, the probe found that academically weak candidates arranged for more capable individuals to appear in exams on their behalf in exchange for money.

In the RPSC Lecturer (Hindi, School Education) Examination, 2022, Manohar Lal, a second-grade teacher from Jalore, allegedly appeared as a dummy candidate for Deram. Police said the two met during coaching in Jodhpur and struck a deal worth around Rs 5 lakh. Lal allegedly altered the admit card photograph and manipulated attendance records to appear in the exam. He was arrested Saturday, while Deram remains absconding.

In another case from the same examination, Ashok Jani of Phalodi was arrested for appearing as a dummy candidate for Ramuram, an ex-serviceman. Officials said Ramuram arranged for a stronger candidate to take the exam on his behalf in a deal worth about Rs 7.5 lakh. Ramuram has already been arrested and charge-sheeted, while Ashok Jani was arrested on April 30.

In the Physical Education Teacher Recruitment Examination, 2022, Sunil, a third-grade teacher from Jalore, allegedly appeared as a dummy candidate for Vimal Kumar Patidar. Police said middleman Anil Bishnoi facilitated the arrangement, introducing Sunil to the candidate. A deal of around Rs 6 lakh was finalised, with Rs 1.5 lakh paid in advance.

Officials said identifying dummy candidates was challenging due to manipulation of documents, but specialised software and technical analysis helped crack the cases.

All three cases have been registered under sections related to cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy, along with provisions of the Rajasthan Public Examination Act and the IT Act.

The investigation, led by Additional SP Tarun Somani, is under way to identify other accused and uncover the wider network.

Officials said strict action will continue against organised exam fraud to ensure transparency in recruitment processes.

Officials said strict action will continue against organised exam fraud to ensure transparency in recruitment processes.
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