LUCKNOW: Enhanced security measures and biometric verification during the Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) examination in Lucknow led to the detection of four alleged impersonators who were appearing in place of registered candidates at different examination centres across the city on Tuesday.
Police have registered separate cases against all four accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Uttar Pradesh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Ordinance, 2024.
Aadhaar Verification Uncovers Impersonation at Charbagh Centre
The first case came to light at Bappa Shri Narayan Vocational Girls Inter College in Charbagh under the jurisdiction of Hussainganj police station.
Following the examination, officials conducted Aadhaar verification of a candidate registered as Vijay Pratap Singh. During scrutiny, the Aadhaar number and biometric details were found to be inconsistent with the records submitted during the application process.
Further investigation revealed that the individual who appeared for the examination was allegedly Rajesh Pratap Singh, a 49-year-old resident of Jaunpur district. Examination authorities handed him over to police, following which an FIR was registered.
Biometric Checks Detect Fraud at Badshahnagar Centre
Another case was detected at Arya Kanya Pathshala Inter College in Badshahnagar under Mahanagar police station limits.
Post-examination fingerprint and facial recognition verification revealed that the individual who appeared for the examination did not match the registered candidate, Amarjeet Singh.
Officials identified the suspect as Mantesh Singh, a 30-year-old resident of Azamgarh district, who allegedly took the examination on behalf of the original candidate.
A case was subsequently registered at Mahanagar police station based on a complaint from the examination centre administration.
Static Magistrate Team Detects Candidate Substitute
The third impersonation case surfaced during the second shift of the examination at DAV Degree College in Arya Nagar under the Naka Hindola police station area.
During a joint inspection by Static Magistrate Paras Nath Pal and college principal Rajiv Kumar Tripathi, officials found that a candidate was appearing in place of another examinee.
The accused was identified as Rang Bahadur, a resident of Prayagraj district, who allegedly appeared in place of the actual candidate, Avadh Raj Yadav.
Police later registered an FIR at Naka Hindola police station.
Fourth Accused Held at Aminabad Centre
A fourth case was reported at Vidyant Hindu Inter College in Aminabad.
A verification exercise led by centre superintendent and principal Pawan Kumar Singh revealed that Ram Manuj, a 35-year-old resident of Ambedkar Nagar district, was allegedly appearing in the examination on behalf of candidate Jitendra Singh Yadav.
The accused was immediately detained and handed over to police. A case was subsequently registered at Aminabad police station.
Cases Registered Under Anti-Cheating Ordinance
Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Babloo Kumar said all four accused have been booked under various provisions of the BNS relating to cheating, impersonation, forgery and fraud, along with sections of the Uttar Pradesh Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Ordinance, 2024.
The ordinance was introduced by the state government to curb examination-related malpractices through stricter penalties and enhanced monitoring mechanisms. Authorities said the successful detection of the impersonators highlighted the effectiveness of biometric verification systems and intensified vigilance at examination centres.
