Approximately 75 kilometers from Ranchi, along the route to Jamshedpur, lies Rargaon village, accessible via a narrow path from the national highway. In a secluded area of the village, away from residential buildings, a three-storey structure is currently under construction, reportedly intended to serve as a private nursing college.
This very building was the focus of a raid conducted by the Jharkhand Police just hours before the Jharkhand Excise Constable Competitive Examination (JECCE) was scheduled to take place, resulting in the apprehension of 166 individuals. Among those arrested, 159 were candidates vying for jobs, while the remainder was allegedly associated with a “solver gang” that purportedly offered to provide answers to anticipated exam questions, according to police statements. Despite the raid, the examination proceeded as planned on Sunday, with both the police and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) confirming that there was no leakage of examination papers and that the information provided by the gang did not correspond with the actual exam content.
During a visit to the construction site by The Indian Express on Monday, workers reported that over 150 individuals had been transported to the location on Saturday morning via several vehicles. These individuals were reportedly kept at the site throughout the day and into the night prior to the police intervention.
The building occupies a vast plot of nearly 40 bighas (approximately 25 acres) situated in a sparsely populated area, with few dwellings within a 3-kilometer radius. Surrounded by trees and agricultural fields, local residents remained largely unaware of the activities taking place inside the structure.
So far, only the basic framework of the building has been established. A machine designed for lifting construction materials to the second floor is present, and workers mentioned that plans for slab casting originally scheduled for the weekend had been postponed.
On Saturday night, a police team from the Tamar police station arrived at the construction site. After securing the area, they entered the building and found over 150 young individuals, including seven females, seated on the floor in orderly rows.
The subsequent discoveries led investigators to conclude that a sophisticated examination fraud operation was in progress. In a joint press conference on Sunday evening, Ranchi police, along with the Ranchi Deputy Commissioner and JSSC chairperson Prashant Kumar, shared details of their findings. According to the First Information Report (FIR), the candidates had been gathered since early Saturday and were allegedly being provided with what the accused claimed were leaked examination papers for the Excise Constable exam, followed by instructions to memorize the answers.
Authorities indicated that the operation was orchestrated by a network charging candidates up to Rs 10 lakh each—Rs 3 lakh upfront and the remainder after the exam results. During the police operation, which spanned the night and into early Sunday, a total of 164 individuals were arrested, including 159 candidates and five suspected gang members. Subsequently, two additional arrests were made in connection with the case.
An FIR was filed at the Tamar police station, and law enforcement seized several vehicles, mobile phones, printed materials, torn admit cards, and additional documentation from the site.
The property in question is reportedly owned by an individual named Gaurav Singh, who, according to Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Ranjan, is currently evading capture. Attempts to contact Singh were unsuccessful, as his phone was switched off.
Workers at the site expressed that they were largely unaware of the ongoing situation until the police arrived. Ghayasuddin, a construction worker and caretaker at the site for over a year, recounted that in the days leading up to the raid, several individuals connected to the operation had been visiting frequently. “We notified the contractor about the unusual activity, but received no further information. As outside workers, we were left in the dark,” he stated.
He detailed that on Saturday morning, vehicles began transporting groups of candidates to the site in multiple trips, and by afternoon, all of them had arrived. Another worker, Aslam, noted that the group remained indoors throughout the day, mentioning that while they were uncertain how food was being managed, a significant quantity of bananas was provided for consumption. “The main accused also joined us for a meal while we were cooking chicken,” he added.
Both workers sensed something was amiss but chose not to intervene. “Around 10 to 10:30 at night, a sudden influx of 30 to 40 police vehicles surrounded the area,” Aslam recounted, stating that law enforcement instructed most workers to leave the premises.
Initially detained for questioning, Ghayasuddin and Aslam were later released. The village chief, Durga Oraon, stated he had no prior knowledge of the activities taking place at the site. “No one informed us, and the police did not reach out to me before the raid. We only learned of it afterward,” he remarked. “There are constant vehicle movements to the site, which went unnoticed. Moreover, no villagers were permitted entry into the building.”
Among those detained was Atul Vats, identified by police as a key figure in an interstate racket. Officers noted that Vats has a history of involvement in various examination-related scandals across several states, including alleged connections to the NEET paper leak of 2024, the Bihar Community Health Officer recruitment exam the same year, the Uttar Pradesh Police recruitment exam of 2024, and a clerk recruitment exam in Rajasthan in 2017. Efforts are underway to verify the criminal backgrounds of the other suspects involved.
Officials have asserted that there was no leak, maintaining that the situation does not align with such claims.
