The Central Bureau of Intelligence has arrested six people for allegedly manipulating an online entrance test conducted by the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, which is located in Rajasthan’s Pilani town, PTI reported on Saturday. The agency conducted searches in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Mumbai.
The six, who are associated with a Delhi-based consultancy firm, helped a few applicants clear the examination through unfair means in exchange for money, the Delhi Police said. The accused were identified as Bhaskar Choudhary, the managing director of Delhi-based Pathway Education Service, Ketan Barot, who runs a coaching centre called Disha Education in Ahmedabad, cyber experts Sheth Mohammed Usama and Virag Harendra Kumar Shah, and Nishikant Sinha and Darpan Shirish Pathak, who run an examination centre in Ahmedabad.
A CBI spokesperson said the accused allegedly gained access to the answers to questions asked in the entrance test, which took place between May 17 and May 22. “The accused had resources to allegedly manage the online examination of BITS, Pilani, wherein the experts arranged by the accused persons provided answers by using Remote Desktop Technology from an unknown destination for an amount ranging from Rs 10-12 lakh,” the spokesperson added.
Choudhary allegedly hired Usama and Shah – who reportedly provided the answers to the applicants – and the others. A CBI official told The Hindu that Rs 33 lakh in cash was seized during the searches.
The exam centres in Ahmedabad and Vadodara in Gujarat reportedly set up a system that could remotely access the desktops of the candidates from another location. The centres were allegedly “compromised with unwarranted Internet connectivity and installation of dubious software”.
The accused were presented in a court in Delhi on Saturday and sent to 12 days of police custody. A case has been registered on the basis of a complaint under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, The Times of India reported.
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