Cheating for love? 34 held in Haryana board exam impersonation case

Haryana board exams have been rocked by fraud as 34 were caught cheating, forcing authorities to ramp up security and crack down on impersonators

Would you cheat for love? In Nuh, Haryana, 34 people risked it all to take board exams for others —some to prove love, others for family, and a few for quick cash.  

 

Two young men, convinced that love knows no bounds, stepped in to write exams for their girlfriends’ brothers, believing this grand gesture would prove their devotion. Most of the impersonators were family or friends, hoping to ‘help’ struggling students. Six of those caught were minors, reported The Times of India.

 

How did they get caught? 

On Monday, as nearly 293,000 students sat for the Class 10 English board exam, security teams remained on high alert. Yet, despite tight measures, 79 students were caught cheating statewide, leading to police intervention at several centres.  

 

At Mount Aravali Public School in Nuh, police acted on a tip-off. The moment they asked if anyone was taking the test for someone else, the game was up. One by one, 34 dummy candidates stood up, knowing they had been exposed. “All of them had already passed Class 12 but were appearing for Class 10 on behalf of others,” a police officer confirmed.  

 

This isn’t an isolated case. Days earlier, the Class 12 English paper on February 27 and the Class 10 Mathematics paper on February 28 were leaked, triggering outrage. In response, Haryana’s Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini suspended 32 officials, including four DSPs and 25 police personnel, handing exam security over to district officials.  

 

Crackdown on cheating 

In addition, authorities are taking no chances. In Sonipat, students were caught scaling school walls to throw cheat sheets inside. The viral video led to seven arrests.  In Jhajjar, police were stationed on rooftops to prevent paper leaks, and students had to remove their shoes before entering exam halls.  In Nuh, police even used batons to disperse crowds near exam centres. People within 500 meters of the schools were cleared out, and barbed wire was installed on walls to stop outsiders from sneaking in cheat sheets. Over 1,000 police officers were deployed across Nuh to keep exams fair.  

 

The government has reportedly tightened security further by ordering schools hosting board exams to be emptied by 10.30 am. No staff is allowed inside during exams, and 219 flying squads have been assigned to monitor centres with observers given the power to take instant action.