Overview
- Punjab Police say they arrested seven alleged operators and detained 28 candidates after detecting cheating in the Punjab Pharmacy Officer recruitment exam held at centres in Faridkot and Ferozepur, with the operation reported on Tuesday.
- Investigators described a tech-enabled method in which a concealed pen camera allegedly scanned question papers, images were sent over WhatsApp to operatives in Bhiwani and a makeshift control room in Faridkot then dictated answers to candidates through battery-powered wireless devices.
- Police reported they seized 27 battery-operated wireless devices and identified people named in their account, including a candidate called Ayush, intermediaries Sajan and Deepak, and a resident alleged to have hosted the control room; formal investigations and legal steps are continuing.
- Punjab Police say there is no evidence so far of a leaked question paper or involvement by exam authorities, but opposition figures have seized on the case to accuse the AAP-led state government of inaction and have repeated unverified claims about large payments by candidates.
- The case highlights broader weaknesses in competitive exam security and could spur tighter checks such as device bans, stronger centre-level supervision and forensic review of communications as police and courts pursue further inquiries.