In a concerning incident highlighting examination integrity, the Avadi city police have apprehended a 25-year-old man in connection with a case of impersonation during an examination conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF). The suspect, identified as Praveen Kumar, hails from Haryana and was caught while attempting to take the written examination for the position of clerk at a designated center in Avadi.
The situation unfolded on Saturday when Kumar presented himself for the exam. His identity was soon called into question when the invigilator noticed a discrepancy between Kumar’s appearance and the photograph on his hall ticket. The mismatch raised suspicions, leading the invigilator to report the matter to the IAF authorities.
Upon questioning, Praveen Kumar admitted that he was not the original candidate but had been hired by an aspirant from Uttar Pradesh to take the examination on their behalf. According to Kumar’s confession, the arrangement was financially motivated, with the aspiring candidate agreeing to pay him for his services.
Following this revelation, Praveen Kumar was handed over to the Muthapudupet police, who proceeded to arrest him. He was subsequently presented before a magistrate and has since been remanded in judicial custody. Authorities are now focused on investigating further to locate the individual who enlisted Kumar’s aid in this deceptive scheme.
This is not an isolated incident, as the issue of examination impersonation has emerged as a recurring problem. Earlier in 2023, the Greater Chennai Police took action against a 22-year-old who was also caught impersonating a candidate during an exam organized by the Customs department.
The Avadi case serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges in maintaining the integrity of examinations and the lengths to which some individuals will go to circumvent established protocols. The police are committed to addressing these issues, aiming to deter such fraudulent activities in the future. Further investigations are expected to shed more light on the network behind examination impersonation.