‘Protest In Delhi, Silence Over Punjab Paper Breach’: BJP Questions Kejriwal As Pharmacist Job Exam ‘Live Op’ Unravels

Last Updated:July 22, 2026, 11:53 IST

Punjab Pharmacy Officer Recruitment Examination scam explained: Rather than leaking question paper in advance, racket operated a "live breach" system using miniature electronics

Amid attacks from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the NEET paper leak and handling of students’ protest in Delhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has questioned the silence of Arvind Kejriwal over another recruitment exam scam that is unravelling in Punjab.

The Punjab Police busted a massive, high-tech cheating syndicate during the Pharmacy Officer Recruitment Examination held for 454 government posts. An organized syndicate of racketeers charged desperate candidates between ₹3.5 lakh and ₹13 lakh and used concealed spy-style electronic devices to feed them answers in real-time. The written test, which attracted approximately 7,000 candidates, was administered by the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) at 18 examination centers in Faridkot, Kotkapura, and Ferozepur.

WHAT BJP SAID

BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya said, “Arvind Kejriwal and his proxy protesters claim to be fighting for students. So where are they now? Punjab’s Pharmacist recruitment exam has been compromised by a massive cheating racket."

“Police have arrested 7 kingpins and 28 candidates. Investigators allege a hidden pen camera was used to leak the paper, with answers transmitted live through Bluetooth earpieces. Candidates reportedly paid between ₹3.5 lakh and ₹13 lakh. Where are the protests? Where is the outrage? Or is selective activism reserved only for states ruled by political opponents?" he said.

LIVE BREACH: PUNJAB PHARMACY OFFICER RECRUITMENT EXAMINATION

Rather than leaking the question paper in advance, the racket operated a coordinated “live breach" system using miniature electronics:

• Within minutes of the exam starting, a candidate at a Ferozepur center used a covert pen camera to take pictures of the question paper
• The images were WhatsApp to an accomplice in Bhiwani, Haryana, who then routed them to a makeshift control room set up in a residence in Society Nagar, Faridkot.
• “Solvers" at the control room relayed the answers back into the examination hall, where compromised candidates were wearing microscopic, battery-operated wireless receivers (Bluetooth devices) hidden inside their turbans, socks, and undergarments.

ARRESTS AND ACTION TAKEN

Following routine inspections and raids by flying squads, the police dismantled the operation.

35 Total Arrests: This includes 7 key conspirators (from Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana) and 28 candidates caught red-handed.

Police have seized 27 battery-operated wireless devices, several pen cameras, and post-dated cheques given to the scammers as financial guarantees.

First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.

ONGOING CONTROVERSY

While authorities from BFUHS confirmed the cheating, they clarified there was no evidence of a question paper leak or involvement from internal university officials.

Opposition leaders and honest aspirants have strongly criticized the administration. They are demanding an explanation as to why mandatory signal jammers were allegedly not installed at the exam centers, and are calling for an independent inquiry.

Because the scandal involved candidates getting live answers inside crowded halls, thousands of honest candidates have demanded the cancellation of the compromised exam and the scheduling of a transparent, fair re-examination.

About the Author

Manjiri Joshi

At the news desk for 20 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing speci...Read More

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