Dehradun: 17 applicants were detained by the Dehradun Police on suspicion of cheating in the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti/Lab Attendant competitive test by utilizing electronic Bluetooth devices. A tip about the use of unfair methods led to the arrests at two testing locations.

The suspects were discovered concealing Bluetooth devices in their shoes and other personal items, according to Ajay Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dehradun. Seventeen of these electrical devices were found.

At the Dalanwala and Kotwali Patel Nagar police stations, three FIRs have been filed. To identify the network that is providing these gadgets to the applicants, the police are questioning the candidates in-depth.

Before acting, the police had obtained sensitive information regarding the cheating scheme, the SSP said. The Special Operations Group (SOG) and local police are questioning the detained persons.

In addition to Sections 318(4) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the defendants have been charged under Sections 3, 4, 10, and 11 of The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. Those who engage in test misconduct face severe penalties under these new, strict restrictions, which are based on Uttarakhand’s anti-cheating statutes. To find those who helped to facilitate the fraudulent operation, further investigations are being conducted.