In a fresh blow to the credibility of competitive examinations in India, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has uncovered a sophisticated cheating racket that manipulated the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) online recruitment exams. The operation, which came to light following a raid at an examination centre in Noida, involved the use of proxy servers and remote access software to help candidates clear tests fraudulently.
Seven Arrested in Noida Raid
The STF arrested seven individuals on Friday evening after raiding the Balaji Digital Zone Centre in Knowledge Park, Noida. Those arrested include Pradeep Chauhan, the alleged ringleader and IT head of the centre, along with Arun Kumar from Mathura, Sandeep Bhati, Vivek Kumar, Nishant Raghav from Bulandshahr, and Amit Rana and Shakir Malik from Baghpat. Among them, Kumar and Malik had appeared as candidates in the examination.
Advanced Technical Manipulation
According to Raj Kumar Mishra, Additional Superintendent of Police (STF, Noida), the gang bypassed the examination centre’s server and installed two proxy servers within the facility. These servers allowed them to install remote access tools like UltraViewer and AnyDesk on candidates’ computers. “The candidate only appears to be taking the exam, while another person sitting far away remotely controls the screen and writes the answers,” Mishra explained. This method evades detection as it does not involve hacking the main server but rather bypassing it, making the exam software appear normal.
How the Racket Operated
The cheating process exploited the network infrastructure of the examination centre. In online exams like SSC, question papers are transmitted from a central server to local servers at centres via proxy servers. The gang added an extra Cat-6 cable connection to a candidate’s workstation, enabling remote access software installation. External solvers then answered the questions remotely. Videos obtained by this correspondent showed the proxy servers operating from a laptop in an office cabinet and another hidden in a storeroom.
Roles of the Accused
Arun Kumar, a former invigilator and later IT head of the centre, was instrumental in setting up the proxy servers. Amit Rana designed the technical framework for cheating. Sandeep Bhati, who previously worked as a lab supervisor, acted as a recruiter, identifying candidates willing to pay for success. The gang charged Rs 4 lakh per candidate, with around Rs 50,000 going to middlemen as commission.
Recoveries and Investigation
During the raid, STF recovered Rs 50 lakh in cash, 10 mobile phones, five laptops, a router, a list of candidates, two admit cards, and four identity cards of Eduquity, a private company involved in the examination process. Investigators suspect the gang has helped numerous candidates secure jobs fraudulently across multiple exams. They are probing how many examinations were compromised and whether more individuals linked to centres or private agencies are involved.
Legal Action
A case has been registered at Knowledge Park police station under Sections 111(3) and 111(4) (organised crime), 318(2) (cheating), 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act.
