Police in Jaipur have launched a major crackdown on a sophisticated racket involving dummy candidates, which was uncovered during a crucial recruitment examination conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB). The investigation has widened significantly, with law enforcement dispatching multiple teams to several cities across states to apprehend suspects linked to the fraud.
How the Racket Was Exposed
The scam came to light on December 10 during the first shift of the online examination for RRB Group D posts. The system at the exam centre flagged a critical biometric verification mismatch. This alert revealed that an individual named Rishabh Ranjan was attempting to take the test using the admit card and identity documents of the genuine candidate, Abhishek Meena. The immediate police intervention led to Ranjan's capture on the spot.
Following a formal complaint, the Sanganer Sadar police registered a First Information Report (FIR) and began a detailed probe. This investigation swiftly led to the arrest of a second individual, Gautam Kumar, on Wednesday. Police officials have described Kumar as an experienced operator who allegedly orchestrated stand-ins for recruitment exams across multiple states.
A Network Wider Than Initially Thought
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Rajarshi Raj Varma stated that preliminary findings suggest a far-reaching network. "The initial investigation suggests that this was not an isolated attempt," Varma said. He indicated there are clear signs that other individuals were involved in arranging dummy candidates or facilitating such fraudulent attempts.
To pursue these leads, police teams have been sent to multiple cities in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The focus is on tracking down all members of this network who may have enabled the scam.
Deepening Investigation and Future Implications
Authorities are currently interrogating Gautam Kumar to uncover the full extent of his operations. Investigators aim to determine his involvement in other recruitment examinations and identify any candidates who may have illegally benefited from this scheme in the past.
The probe is also examining several critical angles:
- Scrutinizing call detail records and financial transactions of the arrested suspects.
- Analyzing documents seized during the arrests to map the entire network.
- Investigating the potential role of local facilitators working at examination centres.
- Verifying whether similar fraudulent attempts occurred during earlier shifts of the same RRB Group D exam.
This case has raised serious concerns about the integrity of high-stakes public recruitment exams. The use of biometric verification, while ultimately successful in catching this attempt, is now under review to see how the fraud was initiated. The Jaipur police's expansive operation highlights a determined effort to dismantle a racket that threatens fair opportunities for millions of job-seeking youth across India.
