Four Booked for Cheating with Modified Devices at IIT Powai Exam Centre

Four candidates appearing for a Group D Multi-Tasking Staff recruitment examination were booked by the Powai police on Sunday after allegedly attempting to cheat using modified electronic devices at the Central Sanskrit University exam centre in IIT Powai. The cheating attempt occurred during the examination held from 9:00 am to 10:30 am, despite mobile jammers being active across all examination rooms.

The complainant in the case, who is the principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya, IIT Powai, was overseeing arrangements for the examination conducted for the Group D peon post. A total of 324 candidates were expected to sit for the exam across 14 rooms, with seating arranged for 24 candidates per room monitored by two invigilators. Mobile jammers had been installed in every room, and candidates were subjected to mandatory security checks before entry to prevent the use of electronic devices.

Shortly after the exam began, an invigilator in Room No. 69 noticed a candidate behaving suspiciously and alerted the principal. The candidate was detained by a security guard and subjected to a body search. During the search, an invigilator felt an object in the candidate's trouser pocket. Although the candidate attempted to flee, security personnel stopped him and recovered a modified electronic device from his possession.

A broader check across the venue revealed similar modified devices on candidates in Room Nos. 20, 62, 68, and 81. The principal alerted the Powai police, who dispatched officers to the examination centre and seized four modified devices from the premises.

Powai police registered a case against the four candidates, who are reportedly residents of Haryana. Police officers conducted questioning of the suspects late into Sunday night. Authorities are currently investigating how the candidates managed to sneak the modified devices past mandatory security checks and how the devices functioned despite the jammers installed in every room.