Day 2: Four FIRs filed over unfair means in police exam

Lucknow: Four FIRs were registered on Tuesday in separate cases of cheating, impersonation and circulation of misleading content on the second day of the UP police constable recruitment examination. Of the 9.62 lakh registered candidates, 7,32,731 appeared, recording an attendance of 76.10%, officials said.The written examination was held in two shifts at 1,183 centres across 75 districts under tight security and surveillance. However, authorities flagged multiple attempts to use unfair means.In Hardoi, a candidate from Agra was arrested after he was allegedly found carrying a concealed mobile phone and previous years' question papers at an examination centre. An FIR was lodged under provisions of the UP Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and the IT Act.A more serious breach was detected in Aligarh, where an impersonator was caught appearing for the examination using forged identity documents. Police arrested the accused along with an accomplice and registered a case under relevant provisions of the BNS and the state public examination law.In Muzaffarnagar, another impersonation attempt was foiled after verification checks revealed that a candidate appeared using a fake Aadhaar card in another person's name. He was arrested and booked under relevant provisions of the BNS.Separately, an FIR was registered in Azamgarh against a social media user accused of posting misleading content related to the recruitment process. Police later arrested the accused under provisions of the BNS and the IT Act.Officials said frisking, biometric verification and real-time surveillance were intensified at examination centres to prevent malpractice. Social media platforms were also monitored to curb the spread of rumours and misinformation.