CET exam: Karnal police arrest 2 in impersonation case

The police have arrested two persons in connection with an alleged case of impersonation during the Common Eligibility Test (CET) conducted by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) on July 26. The accused have been identified as Rakesh and Bhagat Singh, both residents of Jind.

Rakesh was arrested from Karnal soon after the exam, while Bhagat Singh was arrested from Kaithal. Both were produced in court and remanded in judicial custody, said Ganga Ram Punia, SP.

As per their planning, Rakesh attempted to send Bhagat Singh to appear for the exam on his behalf at a centre in Karnal. He even replaced his own photograph on the admit card with that of the proxy candidate, Bhagat Singh. However, invigilators noticed the mismatched photograph, and Rakesh was detained by the police after completing the exam.

“Police officials conducted an immediate investigation, during which Rakesh was arrested. A closer examination of his admit card revealed that it bore someone else's photograph. During the investigation, Rakesh confessed that he was weak at studies and had planned to pay a more competent student to take the exam for him. He admitted that there had been a monetary arrangement between the two,” said DSP Sandeep Kumar.

However, at the last moment, the proxy candidate could not arrive in Karnal. Left with no option, Rakesh appeared for the exam himself—without replacing the photograph on the admit card, leading to his detection.

Bhagat Singh, who was allegedly involved in planning and facilitating the impersonation, was later arrested in Kaithal. The police are also investigating the possible involvement of others in the case. “A case has been registered under Sections 318 and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Section 8 of the Examination Act,” said the DSP.