Nationwide cheating racket busted in Navodaya recruitment exam, 40 caught in Shimla
Photo used for indicative purpose only
Shimla, May 20,
A massive high-tech cheating scam has come to light during the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) non-teaching recruitment examination held nationwide on May 18, 2025. As per sources, a total of 40 candidates, including 35 men and 5 women, were caught red-handed in Shimla city alone, using advanced electronic devices to cheat in the examination.
The examination, conducted by Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, aimed to recruit teachers and non-teaching staff for Navodaya Vidyalayas across the country. Several exam centres in Shimla hosted candidates for various posts such as staff nurse, pharmacist, mess helper, lab assistant, JSA, and stenographer.
Police have registered five FIRs under Sections 10 and 11 of the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 at four police stations—Chhota Shimla, New Shimla, Dhalli, and Sadar. A total of seven cases emerged from Chapslee School, one from Central School for Tibetans, two from JNV School, 11 from St Edward School, and 12 from Saraswati Paradise International Public School.
At New Shimla Police Station, FIR was registered based on a written complaint by Rekha Bali, Principal of JCB School. She reported that ten candidates were caught using unauthorized electronic devices, including microchips with SIM cards and invisible Bluetooth earpieces. Two candidates, Mandeep Kumar and Aman, managed to escape by jumping over the school wall. Names of other accused, such as Rakesh Kumar, Kulvender, Shahrukh, Mohit, Parveen Kumar, Rocky, Parveen, and Amandeep, have been disclosed with their roll numbers and ID details.
In a separate case, FIR was lodged on the complaint of Loveleen Ranjan, Center Superintendent at DAV New Shimla. He reported an impersonation fraud where a candidate named Jatin, posing as Alok Sharma, used forged identity documents to appear for the Lab Assistant exam. Although biometric verification passed, discrepancies in the Aadhaar photo and admit card signature revealed the fraud.
Meanwhile, FIR was filed at Sadar Police Station, where the examination superintendent of Chapsali School reported that candidates Mohit, Ashish, Manish, Gaurav, Ritu Devi, and Shubham, hailing from Haryana and Delhi, were caught with electronic gadgets mid-exam. These cases underline a larger, organized scam across multiple states.
Preliminary investigations revealed that candidates paid between Rs 4 lakh and Rs 12 lakh to intermediaries for “guaranteed selection” via technologically driven cheating. Most of them made part payments before the exam, with the balance due upon result declaration. Police believe a sophisticated cheating gang orchestrated the scam using SIM-enabled microchips and capsule-sized Bluetooth earpieces hidden in the ears—devices so discreet they went undetected during routine frisking.
The scam was only discovered when repeated trips to the washroom by some candidates aroused suspicion. Police have now launched a manhunt for the kingpins, suspected to be part of a larger interstate syndicate.
“This isn’t just cheating—it’s a well-oiled crime ring manipulating public recruitment on a national scale,” a senior police officer stated. Investigators are tracking financial transactions and digital communications to dismantle the racket, which they believe could run into crores of rupees in illicit gains.
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