The Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group has uncovered an alleged “dummy candidate” racket linked to the Rajasthan Public Service Commission’s Senior Teacher (Second Grade) Recruitment Examination-2022, with arrests made across multiple states as part of a nationwide investigation into examination fraud.
The action follows a sustained probe into allegations of impersonation and malpractice during the competitive examination conducted by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission in December 2022. Officials said the investigation revealed that some candidates may have used impersonators to appear for the examination in exchange for money, thereby securing selection through fraudulent means.
As part of the crackdown, SOG teams carried out coordinated raids at several locations, including Jaipur, Kota, Jalore, Kolkata and Sri Vijaya Puram. The multi-city operation led to the arrest of MBBS students and government school teachers allegedly connected to the impersonation network, indicating the inter-state spread of the racket.
Those identified in connection with the case include Mahesh Kumar Bishnoi, a fourth-year MBBS student from Jaipur; Mahipal Bishnoi, a fourth-year MBBS student from Kota; Sahi Ram, a fourth-year MBBS student arrested from Sri Vijaya Puram; Hanumana Ram, a government school teacher; Niwas Kurada, also a government school teacher; and Prince Saini, a 27-year-old MBBS student from Kolkata who was arrested in follow-up action. Police officials stated that the accused were allegedly involved in appearing for the examination on behalf of original candidates for monetary consideration.
The RPSC Senior Teacher Recruitment Examination 2022 was held on December 24, 2022 for subjects including General Knowledge and Educational Psychology. Following allegations of a paper leak, parts of the examination were cancelled and later re-conducted on January 29, 2023. During subsequent scrutiny of examination records, the SOG investigation flagged suspected cases of impersonation, prompting a deeper probe.
Investigators reportedly relied on digital verification tools and photo-matching techniques to identify discrepancies between official candidate records and examination attendance data. These mismatches, officials said, helped establish links between original candidates and alleged dummy candidates.
An FIR in connection with the case was registered in 2023 under the jurisdiction of the Rajasthan SOG. While the FIR number has not been made public, police sources indicated that the case is being handled directly by the SOG, which does not always upload records on standard district police portals.
Those arrested have been produced before the court, and legal proceedings are currently underway. Police sources said the wider investigation has so far resulted in more than two dozen arrests, including original candidates, impersonators and alleged intermediaries who facilitated the arrangements.
Senior SOG officials have indicated that strict action is being taken to safeguard the integrity of government recruitment examinations. Authorities have underlined that impersonation and organised examination fraud strike at the core of merit-based selection and will be dealt with firmly under relevant legal provisions.
The investigation remains active, with officials stating that further arrests cannot be ruled out as scrutiny of examination records and financial trails continues.
