Uttarakhand SSC exam cheating racket: Another accused arrested

The Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) has arrested another member of a racket who used high-tech methods to facilitate cheating for candidates at an online examination center in Dehradun during the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) recruitment exam three months ago.

On February 13 this year, the noise was disrupted during SSC’s online examination for Multi-Tasking (Non-Technical) Staff and Havaldar posts.

Following a series of intelligence inputs, the team arrested the accused, identified as Ishwari Prasad (also known as Indrajit Sharma and Inder), from St John’s Academy in Nehru Gram, Dehradun, Uttarakhand STF Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Singh said in Dehradun on Saturday (May 1).

He informed that a laptop, four mobile phones, two internet routers, 14 mini Bluetooth devices and receivers, a SIM box, 20 batteries, other electronic equipment and fake identity cards used to facilitate the fraud were seized from Ishwari Prasad, a resident of Nihal Vihar, Delhi. He was in the process of installing these devices in his laboratory at St John’s Academy.

The SSP stated that it was alleged that Ishwari Prasad was the person who prepared the server room, examination laboratory and underground room at the MKP examination center to facilitate cheating on February 13. So far, STF has arrested four gang members, including Ishwari Prasad. Following the arrest of the accused, he was sent to St. Petersburg for the online examination of SSC Constable (GD) scheduled to be held on May 18. He added that the St. John’s Academy examination center has been sealed.

The SSP further stated that the accused is a wanted suspect in connection with the cheating incidents that took place during the Tier-I ‘Multi-Tasking Personnel’ and ‘Office Personnel’ examinations conducted by the SSC in November 2025. During the interrogation of the defendant, information emerged showing that the servers at St John’s Academy and some other locations had suffered a ‘security breach’. St John’s Academy has been determined as the exam center for the SSC exam, which is planned to be held two days later, on May 18; Necessary information was given to the SSC Regional Manager regarding the issue.