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Alleged malpractices by two Haryana youths during a test conducted by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday for recruiting technicians to its lead centre Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram have forced the authorities to scrap the test at once.
A big racket involving a coaching centre in Haryana is suspected to be behind the hi-tech malpractice reportedly committed using mobile phones, button cameras and wireless earphones. The two Haryana natives identified as Manoj Kumar and Goutham Chouhan have already been arrested while four more are in police custody.
The exam fraud took place during the recruitment test held for the selection of candidates for the posts of Technician-B in the VSSC.
The accused, Kumar and Chouhan, had appeared for the exam by impersonating candidates named Sumeeth and Sunil Kumar respectively. They had appeared for the exam in different centres.
According to the police, the duo used button cameras to scan the questions, which were then sent to someone elsewhere using the mobile phones. Thereafter, they received answers to the questions through small Bluetooth devices inside their ears.
City police commissioner H Nagaraju told DH that "the VSSC decided to cancel the exam on account of the cheating that happened in the examination hall". A special investigation would be probing the case.
Around 450 candidates from Haryana had appeared for the recruitment test conducted in Thiruvananthapuram for filling around 50 vacancies for the post of technician under various categories. The police added that the VSSC authorities were verifying whether more malpractices had taken place.