Chandigarh, August 1
Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Thursday announced that the Punjab Police has busted an interstate cheating syndicate based in Haryana and allegedly masterminded by a resident of Bhiwani, which used advanced technology to facilitate cheating during the BFUHS Faridkot Pharmacy Recruitment Examination. He said the operation has exposed an organised cheating network operating from Haryana and has effectively disproved allegations of a paper leak in Punjab.
The minister alleged that the Haryana Government had allowed the racket to flourish for years and asserted that the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government would not allow anyone to malign Punjab’s education system. “We have transformed ‘Udta Punjab’ into ‘Padhta Punjab’,” he said.
Addressing a press conference at the PEDA Complex in Chandigarh, Harjot Singh Bains said Punjab’s education system is built on transparency and merit, whereas Haryana has failed to curb organised examination fraud despite the racket operating there for years.
“The Haryana Chief Minister is busy setting political agendas in other states but has no time to safeguard the future of students in his own state,” he remarked.
Bains said, “The Haryana Police failed to act against the cheating syndicate. It was the Punjab Police that solved the BFUHS Faridkot pharmacy examination cheating case, whose links led to a mastermind based in Bhiwani. Yet, Punjab is being defamed.”
Alleging that Bhiwani has become the hub of organised examination fraud, the minister said the syndicate had shattered the dreams of thousands of deserving youth in Haryana seeking jobs, admissions and placements.
“After ruining opportunities for their own children, they expanded their operations into Punjab. This is the model of the Saini Government—first destroy your own system, then attempt to damage others,” he alleged.
The Education Minister said the racket enrolled candidates from Haryana in competitive examinations and equipped them with sophisticated devices to cheat. The accused allegedly used modified Kechaoda (K33) phones converted into microchip-based communication devices, concealed wireless gadgets and other advanced equipment to run the network.
“The mastermind belongs to Bhiwani. These handlers had been carrying out such activities in Haryana for years. When no action was taken there, they expanded their operations into Punjab,” he said.
Highlighting Punjab’s achievements in education, Bains said the state’s performance continues to outperform many reputed educational hubs.
“Haryana claims Gurugram is its best-performing city in education. However, even Punjab’s lowest-performing district, Patiala, performs better than Gurugram. Punjab has also surpassed Kerala in primary education. While they are busy playing politics, we are focused on policymaking,” he said.
Sharing the state’s academic achievements, the minister said Punjab’s education reforms are producing measurable results.
“In 2026, as many as 361 students qualified JEE (Main), while 64 cleared JEE (Advanced). Similarly, the number of students qualifying NEET increased from 437 in 2024 to 882 in 2026—an increase of over 100 percent in just two years. In 2022, fewer than 80 students had qualified NEET. Today, that figure has reached 882, demonstrating the impact of quality education,” he said.
Bains also revealed that the Punjab School Education Department is exploring the use of blockchain technology to prevent examination malpractice.
watch….ਜੇਈਈ ਵਿੱਚ 8 ਤੇ ਨੀਟ ਵਿੱਚ 6 ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਸਫਲਤਾ, ਮਲਟੀਪਰਪਜ਼ ਸਕੂਲ ਨੇ ਜਿੱਤਿਆ ਸਭ ਦਾ ਦਿਲ
“Punjab is investing in future-ready systems to ensure the integrity of examinations. What is Haryana doing? Nothing, because its Chief Minister is busy posing for photographs,” he alleged.
Responding to political criticism, the minister said, “If anyone targets me personally, I do not care. I am an ordinary person. But I will not tolerate a single word against Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann or our students. For four years, the SAD, BJP and Congress have spread falsehoods about us, but today the entire country knows the truth.”
Sending a message to the Haryana Government, Bains said, “Stop patronising those involved in paper leaks and examination fraud. First put your own house in order. Punjab has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against cheating. We will arrest every individual involved. Stop defaming Punjab.”
Calling education his life’s mission, the minister added, “Education is not merely my portfolio; it is my passion. I will protect the future of every Punjabi student, regardless of how many conspiracies are hatched against us.”
Punjab Police Exposes High-Tech Interstate Cheating Network: IGP Neelambari Jagdale
Inspector General of Police Neelambari Jagdale clarified that the case was not a paper leak, but an organised, technology-driven interstate cheating racket.
“I want to make it absolutely clear that this is not a paper leak case. It is a highly organised, technology-enabled interstate cheating network,” she said.
She informed that 10 handlers have been arrested so far, while 25 candidates found using unfair means have also been taken into custody.
The investigation has identified 13 handlers in total, including eight from Haryana and Rajasthan and five from Punjab.
Jagdale said that on the morning of July 19, Punjab Police received specific intelligence that an interstate gang was planning to use advanced wireless and Bluetooth devices to facilitate cheating during the BFUHS Pharmacy Examination at Faridkot.
“The suspects were traced to a house belonging to Gurmeet Singh in Society Nagar, Faridkot, where they had established a fully functional temporary control room equipped with wireless transmitters, modified mobile phones and a dedicated team of handlers prepared to dictate answers,” she said.
Explaining the modus operandi, the IGP said a candidate from Bhiwani used a spy camera to scan the question paper immediately after the examination began.
“The images were sent to another handler, Sajan, in Bhiwani, who solved the paper. The answers were then transmitted to the control room in Faridkot, where handlers Deepak and Manjeet relayed them through wireless devices to candidates inside the examination hall. Before the plan could be executed, Punjab Police teams raided the control room and arrested all six handlers red-handed,” she said.
watch….नकली उत्पादों पर रोक और सुरक्षित खेती के लिए एसीएफआई की नई पहल
Jagdale said the operation involved deployment of over 200 police personnel across various examination centres.
“All examination supervisors, controllers and invigilators were immediately alerted, and candidates underwent thorough screening,” she added.
Police recovered 38 modified Kechaoda K33 phones—25 from candidates and 13 from handlers—along with 21 concealed wireless earpieces and two vehicles used in the operation.
She said the modified phones had been purchased from a Delhi-based vendor and altered using tutorials freely available on YouTube. Their screens, microphones and speakers had been removed and replaced with RF frequency transmitters.
“The hidden earpieces were so small that they could be inserted deep inside the ear canal, making them virtually undetectable during physical examinations,” she explained.
The IGP clarified that the investigation has found no involvement of examination staff, government officials or centre supervisors.
“I want to state categorically that this is neither a paper leak case nor one involving any government employee, officer or examination centre staff. Our investigation has established that the cheating syndicate operated entirely from outside through candidates,” she said.
Although the operation has dealt a major blow to the network, Jagdale said the investigation is still underway.
“Three handlers and four candidates are still absconding. Police teams are conducting raids across Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab. We will not rest until every individual involved in this conspiracy is brought to justice,” she said.
Reiterating Punjab Police’s commitment, the IGP said, “Punjab Police follows a zero-tolerance policy against crime, corruption and unfair practices. We will continue taking strict action against anyone attempting to compromise the future of our students.”
