CBI books 14 MP gramin bank officials for IBPS exam fraud, 11 arrested after biometric mismatch

Bhopal: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), Bhopal, has registered a case against 14 officials of MP Gramin Bank, Indore, for allegedly securing their jobs through impersonators who appeared in recruitment examinations conducted by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS).According to the CBI, the FIR (RC No. 22A/2025) was registered following a communication from IBPS, which flagged suspected discrepancies in the recruitment process. Acting on the input, MP Gramin Bank carried out biometric re-verification of 14 of its officials.The verification process reportedly revealed mismatches between the biometric data — including iris scans, fingerprints and photographs — of the candidates who appeared in the IBPS recruitment examinations and those of the officials who later joined the bank.Investigators concluded that impersonators, commonly referred to as "solvers", had allegedly appeared in the IBPS examinations on behalf of the selected candidates to secure fraudulent appointments.Following the registration of the case, the CBI conducted searches on January 9, 2026, at 14 locations across Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. During the searches, officials recovered several incriminating documents, including Aadhaar updation receipts. These receipts, the agency said, suggest repeated updates of biometric details and photographs, allegedly to manipulate identity records and avoid detection.As part of the investigation, the CBI conducted fresh biometric re-verification of the accused officials with the assistance of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the technology partner for IBPS. The biometric comparison report received from IBPS reportedly confirmed mismatches in respect of 11 accused officials.The findings established that these 11 officials did not appear in various stages of the IBPS recruitment examination and that impersonators had taken the tests on their behalf, the agency alleged.On Feb 23, 2026, the CBI arrested 11 accused bank officials. They were produced before the Special Judge for CBI cases in Indore on Feb 24, 2026. The court granted CBI custody of the accused for further interrogation.The investigation is ongoing, and officials indicated that further action may follow based on evidence gathered during custodial questioning and forensic analysis of digital and biometric records.