A 25-year-old man from Haryana, Praveen Kumar, was arrested on November 9 in Chennai for impersonating another candidate in the Indian Air Force clerk post examination.
The arrest took place at the Avadi Examination Centre after examiners noticed a mismatch between the candidate’s photo on the hall ticket and the person present in the exam hall. Upon further questioning, Praveen Kumar confessed that he was impersonating Mahendra Prabhu, the original candidate from Uttar Pradesh.
Kumar admitted that he had been promised Rs 3 lakh to take the exam on behalf of Mahendra and to clear the test. During an inspection, authorities also discovered that Kumar had concealed a mobile phone and a Bluetooth device inside the examination hall, which he likely intended to use for cheating.
The police have arrested Praveen Kumar and charged him with cheating and impersonation. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are now working to locate the original candidate, Mahendra, as well as the key figures behind the impersonation racket.
This incident highlights growing concerns over fraudulent activities in competitive exams, particularly when impersonators and technology are used to deceive authorities.