Six men, including three engineering graduates from Haryana, have been arrested for allegedly cheating in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) using concealed Bluetooth devices in Chhattisgarh’s
capital, Raipur, police said.
The incident came to light around 3 pm on Saturday at the ION Digital Zone examination centre in Sarona under DD Nagar police station limits. Acting on specific inputs, police teams conducted surveillance around the centre and detained three individuals who were moving suspiciously outside with electronic equipment.
According to investigators, the group had allegedly set up an informal “control point” at a tea stall about 50 metres from the exam venue, allowing them to remain in close contact with candidates inside because of the strong Bluetooth connectivity at such a short distance.
Police said candidates inside the exam hall used micro Bluetooth devices hidden in their ears and shoes. They allegedly read out or transmitted questions, while accomplices stationed outside searched for answers online and relayed them back in real time.
During searches, officers recovered three micro Bluetooth earpieces, four other Bluetooth devices, eight mobile phones, SIM cards and additional electronic equipment.
DCP (West) Sandeep Patel said interrogation revealed that the accused supplied specialised devices to candidates in exchange for Rs 2–3 lakh per paper. The suspects detained outside the centre were identified as Darshan Sehrawag, 26, Narendra Kumar Chandra, 29, and Bunty Kumar, 38. Those who appeared for the exam and were arrested were Sumit Sehrawag, 30, Laxminarayan Verma, 36, and Amar Chandra, 32.
Investigators are also examining call records and digital chats to trace other possible members of the network, with police indicating that more arrests could follow.
The accused have been booked under sections 318(2) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, section 66 of the Information Technology Act, and section 10(1) of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act. They were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
