The Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police has arrested 2 alleged masterminds behind a fake sports-certificate racket that enabled ineligible candidates to secure government teaching jobs under the state’s sports reservation quota.
The arrests mark a significant breakthrough in an investigation into alleged irregularities in the Grade-III Teacher Recruitment Examination conducted during the 2021–22 session. Investigators found that several candidates had obtained public-sector jobs by submitting forged sports credentials.
The accused have been identified as Kaptaan Singh, 22, from Karauli, and Vishnu Bhakhariwal, 25, from Jaipur. According to SOG officials, Kaptaan Singh had been evading arrest for nearly 2 years and carried a reward of ₹10,000. Both accused have been remanded to police custody for further investigation.
The probe revealed that the syndicate went beyond creating fake certificates and allegedly built a fraudulent digital verification system to support the forged documents. Investigators found that the network created a fake email infrastructure designed to resemble official communication channels of the Taekwondo Federation of India.
According to the investigation, when the Directorate of Elementary Education in Bikaner initiated verification of sports credentials, requests were allegedly redirected through the syndicate’s fake email network. The accused then sent fabricated verification responses, allowing forged certificates to pass official scrutiny and enabling candidates to secure appointments.
Investigators allege that the operation began after the 2 accused became acquainted in 2020 while preparing for armed forces recruitment examinations. Vishnu Bhakhariwal is believed to have sourced the forged certificates, while Kaptaan Singh allegedly acted as the primary broker.
The inquiry found that the forged certificates were reportedly procured for around ₹60,000 each and later sold to job seekers for amounts ranging between ₹40,000 and ₹1.20 lakh. The documents falsely claimed participation or merit positions in the 2017 Third Bhagwan Mahavir Open National Taekwondo Championship.
The forged credentials allegedly helped several candidates secure Grade-III teaching positions by bypassing genuine applicants in the recruitment process.
Cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said modern document fraud networks increasingly use digital tools, domain spoofing, and fake communication systems to create convincing verification mechanisms. He stressed the need for secure credential verification systems and stronger digital safeguards in public recruitment processes.
The SOG has indicated that the investigation is ongoing and may uncover a wider interstate network. Officials are conducting forensic examinations of seized digital devices to trace financial transactions, identify additional beneficiaries, and determine whether other individuals or officials were involved in the alleged scheme.
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