Shimla: A large-scale cheating racket was busted during the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) non-teaching staff recruitment examination in Himachal Pradesh, exposing an organised network of exam fraudsters. The police recovered electronic devices from around 40 candidates at multiple exam centres in Shimla, most of whom reportedly belonged to Haryana.
The authorities have registered five separate FIRs in connection with the case. A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed under the supervision of the Shimla ASP to probe the racket further.
Candidate’s suspicious movements led to expose
The scam first came to light on Sunday (May 18, 2025) morning at an exam centre located in a New Shimla school. A candidate, after being frisked and cleared through a metal detector, requested to visit the washroom shortly after the exam started.
When he made a second request soon after, invigilators grew suspicious. On following him and conducting a re-check, they discovered a hidden device strapped to his chest and a Bluetooth micro-earpiece in his ear.
This led to a full-scale search of the exam centre, which resulted in 10 candidates being caught with electronic cheating devices. Officials immediately informed the CBSE’s CTET unit via email. The CBSE, which is overseeing the NVS exams, directed the local authorities to file FIRs against the offenders.
A few years ago, a similar cheating pattern and use of unfair means was found in the exam conducted for the recruitment of constables in the Himachal Pradesh Police. Then too, a few of the scam masterminds were traced to Haryana.
High-tech cheating and crores at stake
According to preliminary investigations, the cheating gang had made deals worth lakhs of rupees with individual candidates, promising success through high-tech cheating methods. Candidates were allegedly guided via bluetooth devices and microchips, with external operatives supplying answers in real time.
It is suspected that the same gang may have struck deals worth crores of rupees for this single exam, which is being conducted nationwide for 1,377 non-teaching posts, including stenographers, mess helpers, pharmacists, staff nurses and others.
Impersonation also detected
In a separate but related incident, a candidate was caught attempting to appear for the exam in place of another person at a centre in Bharari, Shimla. The fraud was detected when his fingerprint did not match the original candidate’s record.
The impersonator, Sandeep Kumar from Jind, Haryana, was taking the exam for Ajay Kumar, also from Haryana. The police have registered a case and launched an investigation.
As police continued questioning suspects late into the night, anxious parents waited outside exam centres, unaware of the unfolding scandal inside.
Sunil Chadha
