THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, April 12: In a major crackdown on examination fraud, 164 people—including five members of an interstate solver gang—have been arrested in connection with the Jharkhand Excise Constable Competitive Examination conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
The action was announced during a press conference addressed by JSSC Chairman Prashant Kumar, flanked by Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rakesh Ranjan.
Acting on confidential inputs, Ranchi Police carried out a late-night raid on April 11 at an under-construction building in the Tamar police station area, where over 150 candidates had gathered under suspicious circumstances.
Candidates Caught with Solved Papers, Devices
As the police team reached the spot, several candidates attempted to flee and destroy evidence. Authorities secured the building and detained all those present.
During the search, police recovered printers, prepared question papers and answer sheets, torn admit cards, suspicious mobile phones, and bank cheques. Investigations revealed that the gang was supplying solved question papers to candidates.
A total of 164 persons were found at the site, including 159 candidates (among them 7 women) and 5 members of the paper leak syndicate.
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₹10–15 Lakh Per Candidate Deal
According to police, the gang operated through multiple agents and charged candidates between ₹10 lakh and ₹15 lakh to help them clear the examination by providing leaked questions and answers in advance.
To avoid detection, candidates had switched off their mobile phones and torn their admit cards. Some were also carrying bank cheques in the names of gang members as part of the payment arrangement.
FIR Registered, Vehicles Seized
An FIR has been registered at Tamar police station (Case No. 21/26 dated April 12, 2026), and all 164 accused have been arrested. Police have also seized eight vehicles from the spot. Further raids are underway to nab other members linked to the racket.
Kingpin Linked to Multiple National Exam Leaks
The alleged kingpin, Atul Verma from Jehanabad, Bihar, has a history of involvement in several major exam scams across India. His links include:
- Rajasthan Constable Recruitment Exam (2017)
- NEET Paper Leak (2024)
- Bihar Community Health Officer Exam (2024)
- UP Review Officer/ARO Exam (2024) – arrested by UP STF
- UP Constable Recruitment Exam (2024)
Police said the criminal background of the other accused is also being verified.
Officials said the crackdown reflects a zero-tolerance approach toward organised exam fraud networks. The case has once again highlighted the scale and sophistication of solver gangs operating across states to compromise recruitment examinations.
