Six held for manipulating online entrance examination of BITS, Pilani

The CBI has arrested six people, including the managing director of a Delhi-based education consultancy firm, for allegedly manipulating an online entrance examination of BITS, Pilani, officials said Saturday. Besides Bhaskar Choudhary, the managing director of Pathway Education Service having office at Bhikaji Kama place here, other arrested are-- Ketan Barot of Ahmedabad-based Disha Education, cyber experts Sheth Mohammed Usama and Virag Harendra Kumar Shah, owner of Ahmedabad examination centre Nishikant Sinha and its manager Darpan Shirish Pathak, they said.

It is alleged that Choudhary in connivance with others was demanding around Rs 10 lakh from parents of a candidate for helping in BITSAT (the entrance exam) through unfair means, they said. The exam was held between May 17 to 22, according to an FIR filed by the CBI. The CBI has alleged that these accused entice the parents of candidates aspiring to join Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani.

"The accused had resources to allegedly manage the online examination of BITS, Pilani, wherein the experts arranged by the accused persons provided answers by using Remote Desktop Technology from an unknown destination for an amount ranging from Rs 10-12 lakh(approx.)," a CBI spokesperson said. The accused had allegedly connived with the examination centres where they had computers installed with dubious softwares which allowed solvers to take its control from a remote location during examination thereby ensuring admission, the agency said.

"Searches were conducted at Delhi, Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Mumbai which led to recovery of several incriminating documents, including digital evidences and cash of over Rs 33 lakh (approx.) and umber of blank signed cheques," the spokesperson said.

(With inputs from agencies.)