Purnea (Bihar), Nov 14 (PTI) Bihar Police arrested 35 people for allegedly engaging in malpractices during the Central Staff Selection Commission's (SSC) Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) examination at a centre in Purnea district, officials said on Thursday.

The arrested include 12 imposters, seven employees of the examination centre, 12 candidates, and six private persons, police added.

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During the operation, police seized 12 blank cheques, 3 laptops, 18 mobile phones, 22 ATM cards, 52 Aadhaar cards, a printer, four-wheelers, and Rs 4.20 lakh in cash from their possession.

Speaking to reporters, Purnea SP Kartikeya K. Sharma said acting on a tip-off, a police team conducted a search at the Purnea Digital Examination Centre, located in Gulabbagh area, where the SSC exam for MTS was being held on November 13.

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During the operation, the police found that 12 imposters were solving the exam papers on behalf of other candidates. The imposters were arrested on the spot.

Further investigations revealed that 12 other candidates, who were supposed to be inside the exam centre, were actually solving the papers in a nearby building. These people, along with two other private persons, were also taken into custody.

It was also uncovered that several employees of the Purnea Digital Examination Centre were complicit in the scheme. Seven employees of the centre were arrested for their involvement in the malpractices, police added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)