In a significant breakthrough, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police has arrested Ravi Bhushan, the mastermind behind the online exam fraud that occurred during the recruitment process for Community Health Officers (CHOs). The arrest took place in the Kankarbagh area of Patna on Monday night.
The fraud was initially discovered during the CHO recruitment exam held on December 1, 2024, when the health department had to cancel the exam due to widespread irregularities. Ravi Bhushan, a resident of Mubarakpur in Nalanda, allegedly masterminded the leak by gaining unauthorized access to computer systems at several online exam centers in Patna through the use of a proxy server.
According to police reports, Ravi, along with his accomplice Shashiranjan (alias Happy), had been operating a network of exam centers in Patna where they manipulated the online exam system. They reportedly installed software on the main servers of the exam centers, enabling them to remotely solve the exam questions for selected candidates. The candidates, who were charged between Rs4-5 lakh each, were provided with remote access to the answers.
The police investigation also revealed that Ravi had been involved in the online exam business since 2017, setting up centers and supplying manpower for the operation of online exams. His company, M/C Bramcize Technology Pvt Ltd, had operations in multiple locations, including Mumbai and Delhi. Furthermore, in December 2024, Ravi and his brother Bharat had secured a contract to conduct online exams for AIIMS-Mangalagiri in Andhra Pradesh, but their involvement in the Bihar CHO exam scam led to the cancellation of the contract.
To date, the EOU has arrested over 40 individuals, including Ravi, Shashiranjan, nine exam aspirants, staff members from online exam centers, and several IT managers. Investigators have seized numerous electronic devices and are continuing their efforts to track down Ravi’s brothers, Bharat and Avadh, who are implicated in the fraud.
The online CHO exam was supposed to take place across 12 centers in Patna, but it was marred by the fraudulent activities carried out by the syndicate. The EOU, acting on a tip-off, raided several exam centers and gathered evidence that pointed to the manipulation of the exam system, including the use of proxy servers. The team found proof of malpractice at four of the centers, while evidence from the others is under forensic examination.
This investigation marks a significant crackdown on online exam fraud in Bihar, with the authorities vowing to continue their efforts to prevent similar incidents in the future.
