Lucknow: In a major breakthrough, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP STF) has arrested six individuals for allegedly orchestrating mass cheating during the 2026 High School and Intermediate examinations conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UP Board).
The accused were apprehended from Mainpuri following a targeted operation based on intelligence inputs regarding organised malpractice aimed at compromising the sanctity of the board examinations.
Arrested Accused Identified
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
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Ashish (Manager)
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Arun Kumar alias Tinku (Teacher)
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Ankit alias Prashant (Teacher)
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Shiva Chauhan alias Shiv Pratap (Solver)
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Avneet alias Abhijeet (Solver)
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Anoop Kumar (Solver/Teacher)
According to STF officials, the accused were allegedly involved in facilitating large-scale copying by deploying “solvers” to write answer sheets for candidates during the ongoing examinations.
Key Documents and Materials Recovered
During the operation, the STF recovered several incriminating materials from the accused, including:
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Two written answer booklets of Intermediate Mathematics Examination 2026
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Biology question paper of Intermediate Examination 2026
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Key plan documents related to Intermediate 2026
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Photocopies of Biology answer plans
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Seating plan documents
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Other crucial examination-related papers
Officials stated that the recovered materials indicate a well-organised network aimed at manipulating examination procedures.
Modus Operandi Revealed
Preliminary interrogation of the accused revealed that the alleged racket was being run with the involvement of a school principal, identified as Amrish, and his brother Ashish. The STF said that solvers were assigned to write answer sheets on behalf of examinees.
The accused allegedly charged candidates ₹5,000 per paper in exchange for solving question papers and ensuring higher scores. Investigators believe that the operation was systematically planned, with seating arrangements and answer-writing managed internally to avoid detection.
Sanctity of Exams Under Threat
The STF stated that the racket posed a serious threat to the integrity and fairness of the state board examinations. The Uttar Pradesh Board examinations are among the largest in the country, with lakhs of students appearing annually.
Officials said that strict legal action is being taken against the accused under relevant sections of law related to cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy. Further investigation is underway to identify additional individuals involved in the network and to determine whether similar activities occurred at other centres.
Zero Tolerance for Exam Malpractice
The STF reiterated that the Uttar Pradesh government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward examination malpractice. Special monitoring teams, surveillance mechanisms and intelligence networks have been activated across districts to prevent organised cheating during the 2026 board examinations.
Authorities confirmed that efforts are ongoing to trace the role of the absconding principal and to dismantle any larger syndicate linked to the racket.
The arrests are being viewed as a significant step toward safeguarding the credibility of the UP Board examinations and ensuring a fair opportunity for lakhs of students appearing in the High School and Intermediate exams this year.
