JAIPUR: Rajasthan police unearthed REET cheating racket across the state including in Bikaner where a gang fitted calling devices inside slippers to cheat in the exam. Throughout the day, 40 people were arrested and over two dozen interrogated.
In Bikaner, police arrested five members of a gang including a woman who had fitted bluetooth enabled calling devices inside slippers to cheat. Initial investigation revealed that the accused had sold modified slippers for Rs 6 lakh each.
“A small battery and a SIM card were hidden under the soles of slippers. A bluetooth enabled micro-earpiece was fitted deep into candidates’ ears to help them listen to answers,” an official said.
“One of the accused in the case is a suspended sub-inspector and we are making efforts to arrest him,” said IG Bikaner Prafulla Kumar, adding that slippers were supplied in Ajmer and Sikar districts.
The accused were identified as Madanlal, Om Prakash, Gopal Krishna, Kiran and Trilok Chand. SIM cards, bluetooth devices and other equipment were recovered on them.
Police also identified the mastermind as one Tulsi Ram Kaler, who owns a coaching centre in Bikaner. Police said Ram had been arrested in the past too for similar cheating cases. “Kaler is on the run and our teams are looking for him,” said Bikaner SP Preeti Chandra.
Bikaner police’s information led to the arrest of multiple accused from different parts of the state. Two were arrested from Pratapgarh district and identified as Hanuman Bishnoi and Malaram Bishnoi.
Acting on Bikaner police’s information, police arrested one Ganesh Ram Jat from Kishangarh for using slippers with bluetooth. Another arrest in the slipper case was made from Neem Ka Thana in Sikar district where cops arrested one Uda Ram from the exam centre.
In Ajmer, another case of suspected cheating came to the fore when an inspection team apprehended a couple from Central Girl’s school in the Purani Mandi area. It was found that the couple had filled in similar information in their applications including the same date of births, names and even similar names of parents.
In Sawai Madhopur, two police constables were suspended for their alleged involvement in facilitating cheating for their wives. Both are under interrogation. “Both constables have been suspended. We have also detained their wives and they are being interrogated. Our operation is underway,” said SP Rajesh Singh. Another constable was suspended in Sirohi .
Govindgarh police in Jaipur rural arrested five accused including two dummy candidates for trying to appear on the behalf of REET candidates. Govindgarh DSP Sandeep Sarswat said police arrested Shyamveer Singh, Mitihliesh Chouhan, Karn Kushwaha, Sachdev Singh and Shyam Sundar from Shri Krishna Girls College in Kalu Ka Bans in Govindgarh.
In a similar exercise, three other accused including two women were arrested in Manoharpura, two in Renwal and one was held in Jobner areas under Jaipur rural police. Sources informed TOI that nearly 19 invigilators were shunted out from their duties at different centres in Renwal.
In Rajsamand, two government teachers were arrested for appearing on behalf of REET aspirants. Till late Sunday night, four persons were arrested in Jodhpur and one was held in Bundi. Interrogations were underway in major cities including, Hanumangarh, Bhilwara, Bundi and Jodhpur.
