TNPSC exam scam: 3 high scoring candidates arrested

The agency has identified the arrested persons as M Karthi (30) of Vedanthagal village in Ranipet district, M Vinod Kumar (34) of Avadi and K Srinivasan (33) of Panruti in Cuddalore district.

According to the officials, the trio not only managed to secure high marks for themselves through malpractices, they even collected Rs 5 lakh from four other students, who too cleared the examination through fraudulent means.

The investigators have so far arrested three government employees, including one working in TNPSC, apart from candidates and brokers.

According to the CB-CID, which began investigation into the exam scam on Friday, the malpractices took place at two exam centres at Keelakarai and Rameswaram.

Jayakumar, the main suspect who is absconding, is said to have facilitated the operation after collecting a hefty sum from each of the candidates.

Explaining the modus operandi, the sleuths said the candidates were given pen with vanishing ink, using which they wrote examination. Later, Jayakumar allegedly pulled out answer sheet bundles from the parcel van with the help of TNPSC staff Omkanthan, who was accompanying the van that transported the answer sheets from the exam centre to Chennai. He then filled the answer sheets with correct answers. J Jayakumar took the bundles when the van stopped for dinner at 10.30 pm, and put them back after filling the correct answers when the van stopped for tea in the morning.

The scam came to light when candidates from two centres at Keelakarai and Rameswaram cornered the majority of the top 100 ranks in the examination.