By Shubhankar Shukla– 17-Febraury-2026
High-tech heist foiled: Engineering graduates arrested for using hidden Bluetooth devices and Google searches to rig the GATE exam in Chhattisgarh.
RAIPUR – In a plot that sounds more like a high-stakes spy thriller than a graduate entrance exam, police in Chhattisgarh have dismantled a sophisticated “hi-tech” cheating syndicate. The group allegedly used micro-Bluetooth devices hidden in shoes and ears to funnel answers to candidates during the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE).
The operation, which unfolded at the ION Digital Zone in Sarona, led to the arrest of six individuals—including three engineering graduates from Haryana who were caught red-handed inside the examination hall.
The “Google-to-Shoe” Pipeline
The scheme was as audacious as it was clever. According to Raipur Police, the candidates entered the hall with miniature Bluetooth devices concealed within the soles of their shoes and microscopic receivers tucked deep inside their ears.
Once the exam began, the process was simple:
- The candidate would quietly read the question into a hidden microphone.
- Accomplices stationed outside the center in a parked vehicle would receive the audio.
- The outside “handlers” would then use Google to find the correct answer and whisper it back through the Bluetooth connection.
“The plan involved the candidate reading out the questions, while an accomplice outside searched the answers on Google and transmitted them back,” said DCP (West) Sandeep Patel.
How the Net Closed In
The ring’s downfall began with a stroke of traditional police intuition. A surveillance team noticed three men—later identified as Darshan Sehrawag, Narendra Kumar Chandra, and Bunty Kumar—acting suspiciously near the exam center. They were found carrying a stash of electronic equipment, mobile phones, and extra SIM cards.
Under interrogation, the trio cracked, revealing they had “clients” currently sitting for the paper inside. Police coordinated with exam authorities to pause the session and conduct targeted searches. The result? Three candidates—Sumit Sehrawag, Laxminarayan Verma, and Amar Chandra—were pulled from their desks after electronic gear was recovered from their persons and footwear.
High Stakes and Heavy Prices
This wasn’t just a friendly favor among graduates. Investigations revealed that the syndicate was charging candidates between ₹2 lakh and ₹3 lakh per paper.
The six men now face a grim future. They have been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for fraud and conspiracy, the IT Act, and the stringent Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act. All six have been remanded to judicial custody.
A Growing Concern
The Raipur incident highlights the escalating “arms race” between examination boards and cheating syndicates. Despite heavy frisking and signal jammers, the use of “stealth” wearable tech is making it increasingly difficult to ensure a level playing field for the lakhs of students who spend years preparing for the GATE exam.
For now, Raipur authorities are patting themselves on the back for a job well done, but the message is clear: as cheating goes high-tech, the eyes of the law are watching closer than ever.
