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CBI busts PGI entrance exam racket
Tribune News Service

7 held; exam won’t be rescheduled CBI sleuths raided all 11 examination centres in Chandigarh and arrested seven girls, all from Andhra Pradesh Seven youths were rounded up for helping these girls solve the papers via bluetooth devices and mobile phones Experts who were helping the candidates were also nabbed in Hyderabad and Patna in a synchronised operation PGI officials said since it was a case of cheating and not paper leak, the examination will not be rescheduled.

Chandigarh, November 10
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today unearthed a well-organised cheating racket during an MD entrance examination at PGI, Chandigarh. Simultaneous raids were conducted in Chandigarh, Patna and Hyderabad to nab the suspects involved in the racket.

CBI sleuths raided all 11 Chandigarh examination centres and arrested seven girls. Seven youths were rounded up for helping these girls solve the question papers through sophisticated bluetooth devices and mobile phones. Those arrested have been identified as G. Padmaja, G. Shahjah, Aruna, C.Namita, Pillai Maritha, Krishna and Sunita. All candidates belong to Andhara Pradesh. They would be produced in CBI court on Sunday.

In 2010, CBI sleuths had arrested two PGI junior resident doctors who had got admission after clearing the entrance exam with the help of impersonators. CBI DIG Mahesh Aggarwal said they had information that candidates appearing in the MD exam were using high-end gadgets to clear the test and some people were helping them from outside.

CBI sources said the girls had hid sophisticated mobile phones with camera in their undergarments and had a bluetooth device plugged into their ears. They had left their hair open to cover the bluetooth device. The girls first scanned and emailed the copy of the question paper to their associates, who were stationed in a hotel room in the city. From there, the questions papers were sent to experts based in Patna and Hyderabad through email. The experts used the same channel to send back the right answers, which were further conveyed to girls seated in examination halls.

"Besides arresting seven girls, we have rounded up seven persons from a hotel in Sector 35. They were helping the candidates,’ the DIG said.

While two candidates were arrested from DAV School, Sector-15, three from Sri Guru Gobind Singh Senior Secondary School, Sector 35 and one candidate each was arrested from St Joseph School, Sector 44 and Shivalik Public School, Sector 41.

Laptops, micro earphones, sophisticated mobile phones, bluetooth devices, SIM cards, special clothes fitted with electronic devices, button-hole cameras, tablet computer, wireless earplugs, medical books, electric solders, fitting equipments, ATM cards and cash were also seized. The experts who were helping the candidates were also nabbed in Hyderabad and Patna in a synchronised operation. The gang had been involved in similar rackets earlier.