- Punjab minister said pharmacy exam cheating was a high-tech operation, not paper leak
- Police arrested 10 main accused, 25 candidates, and 8 handlers from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan
- Cheating syndicate originated in Bhiwani and expanded into Punjab with local branch setup
Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains has said that the controversy surrounding the pharmacy recruitment examination was not a case of paper leakage but a well-organised "high-tech cheating" operation allegedly linked to a network operating from Bhiwani, Haryana.
So far, police have arrested 10 main accused, 25 candidates and eight handlers. Among the handlers arrested, five are from Punjab and three are from Haryana and Rajasthan.
Bains said the investigation had uncovered a cheating syndicate whose roots were in Bhiwani. According to him, the group was initially active in Haryana, where it allegedly helped candidates fill examination forms and facilitated cheating arrangements. The network later expanded its operations into Punjab by setting up a local branch.
Deputy Inspector General Neelambari Jagdale said the police investigation began after receiving confidential information about the network.
Accused Gurmeet Singh's residence in Faridkot was being used as a control room, from where several handlers were operating and six of them were arrested.
Police officials said one candidate had scanned the question paper and attempted to send it outside, while accused Deepak and Manjit were preparing to circulate answers. The operation was stopped before the network could execute its plan.
A team of around 200 police personnel conducted checks at examination centres based on roll number lists. During searches, officials recovered mobile phones, a headphone, an RF antenna and other electronic devices allegedly used for cheating.
Explaining the chain of events, the minister said the Punjab connection emerged when the group came in contact with a cafe in Ferozepur related to the pharmacy recruitment examination. This interaction eventually helped investigators trace the network and expose the alleged racket.
Rejecting claims of a leaked question paper, Bains said the case involved the use of advanced cheating techniques. He added that the state government was ready for any investigation, including a CBI probe if required.
The investigation also revealed that the accused had learned high-tech cheating methods through online platforms, including YouTube. The search for four candidates and one handler is still underway.
