In a significant breakthrough, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the state police arrested Tulchharam Kaler, the mastermind behind the RO/EO Exam 2022 paper leak, and his nephew Porav Kaler on a production warrant on Saturday. The duo will be interrogated to uncover the details of how they orchestrated the leak of question papers, according to police officials.
Kaler, a 57-year-old former police officer, is suspected of being involved in over 15 recruitment exam leaks and cheating operations spanning the past 12 years. He is believed to be directly linked to half a dozen paper leak cases, with his activities affecting numerous government recruitment exams across the state. Kaler and his nephew Porav Kaler were reportedly behind a large network that helped hundreds of candidates cheat their way into government jobs.
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Kaler’s criminal career dates back to 1994, when he was dismissed from the police force after being involved in a robbery with two other constables in Nagaur district. The trio allegedly seized hawala money intended for illegal transactions, and kept it for themselves. Once the crime was exposed, Kaler was arrested, placed under suspension, and eventually terminated from his job.
After his dismissal, Kaler opened the Chanakya Coaching Centre in Bikaner, where he launched a new business model: a cheating network. His coaching institute became a hub for facilitating cheating in major recruitment exams, and Kaler quickly rose to prominence as one of the masterminds behind the widespread exam fraud operations.
Kaler is notorious for introducing Bluetooth cheating devices in exams, which became a hallmark of his operation. These devices were ingeniously concealed in everyday items like jackets, vests, sandals, and even buttons, enabling candidates to receive real-time answers during their exams. His gang not only provided the devices but also offered training to candidates on how to use them effectively, ensuring that cheating went undetected.
Over the years, Kaler’s gang infiltrated several major recruitment exams, including:
Sub-inspector recruitment exams
LDC (Lower Division Clerk) exams in 2014 and 2016
REET 2021 exam
Patwari recruitment exams
Teacher recruitment exams (both third- and second-grade)
Jail Prahari (prison warder) exams
Forest guard exams
His network also played a key role in helping candidates cheat in these high-stakes exams, tarnishing the credibility of the recruitment process.
Before his most recent arrest in June 2024, Kaler had been arrested twice for his involvement in similar cheating operations. In 2014, he was arrested for appearing as a dummy candidate in a sub-inspector recruitment exam for a relative. He continued his illegal activities even after multiple arrests.
Kaler’s arrest in Jaisinghpura Khor in Jaipur in June 2024 was a result of a coordinated effort by the SOG. At the time of his arrest, Kaler was living with one of his students in a live-in relationship.
The scope of Kaler’s criminal activities is vast. His network has been operating for over a decade, corrupting recruitment exams and helping hundreds of candidates cheat their way into government positions. As the police continue to investigate his operations, they are uncovering the scale and depth of the scam, with more arrests likely.