CBI arrests 4 people over JEE-Main manipulation

New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) The CBI Monday arrested four people including an assistant professor from an engineering college in Sonepat in connection with the alleged manipulation of JEE-Main 2021, officials said.

Assistant professor Sandeep Gupta, lab technicians Arvind Saini and Kuldeep Garg, and peon Tulsi Ram, working at a private engineering college in Sonepat, were taken into custody by the CBI Monday, they said.

The prestigious JEE Main examination which is a stepping stone for IITs and NITs came under the shadow of manipulation when the CBI booked Affinity Education Pvt Ltd and its Directors for allegedly solving the paper for candidates through remote access in return for huge payments.

It is alleged that the directors in conspiracy with other associates and touts were "manipulating the online examination of JEE (Main) and facilitating aspiring students to get admission in top NITs in consideration of huge amount by solving the question paper of the applicant through remote access from a chosen examination centre in Sonepat (Haryana)", CBI Spokesperson RC Joshi had said.

It is alleged in the FIR that the accused contacted the aspirants assuring their admission through JEE for a fee of Rs 10-15 lakh.

They allegedly arranged a person sitting at a remote location for solving the questions which are displayed on the computer terminal allotted to the candidate at the examination centre in connivance with the centre authorities, CBI FIR said.

“The centre supervisor who has access to the computer network is also a part of the fraudulent act and the solver gets access to the system being used by the candidate by using a remote access software.

“The candidates are directed to pretend that they are operating the computer by keeping their hand on a mouse and making calculations on a sheet so that nothing adverse is recorded in the camera installed at the centre whereas the questions are solved by solvers hired by above mentioned persons,” it alleged.

Several others examination centres and a Bengaluru-based suspected mastermind of the alleged racket is also under scanner and the CBI is carrying out searches, the officials said.

It was also alleged that the accused used to obtain 10th and 12th marksheets, the User IDs, passwords, and post-dated cheques of aspiring students in different parts of country as security and once admission was done, they used to collect heavy amount ranging from 12-15 lakh (approx) per candidate, Joshi had said. PTI ABS TIR TIR