Patna: A major alleged fraud has rocked BPSC’s assistant education development officer (AEDO) recruitment examination that involves a biometric attendance company. The Jaipur-based company was blacklisted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Oct 15, 2025, for its serious irregularities in a Gujarat high court recruitment examination.An official said despite this, it was awarded the biometric contract for the BPSC exam, which was held in multiple phases from April 14 to April 21 at around 700 centres across the state to fill 935 posts in the education department. The scandal came to light after complaints poured in during and after the three-paper exam (language, general studies, and aptitude).So far 30 people have been arrested from five districts and five separate FIRs filed by local police in connection with the scam.The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police formed a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Saturday (April 18) to probe the case, which appears to have spread to at least five districts: Munger, Nalanda, Gaya, Sheikhpura and Begusarai. The SIT was formed on the instructions of ADG Nayyar Hasnain Khan. The team is headed by SP (administration) Rajesh Kumar.EOU DIG Manavjit Singh Dhillon told TOI on Tuesday that the company, Sai Educare Private Limited, allegedly hired people linked to the “examination mafia” as contract employees. “These operatives used biometric tablets at the last moment to photograph question papers, transmit them outside the examination centres for quick solving, and then supply answer keys to candidates who had paid — all under the guise of routine biometric verification,” he said, while explaining the modus operandi of the gang.“Such cases have occurred in Munger, Nalanda, Gaya, Sheikhpura and Begusarai, and in all of them the biometric company employees have been found to be compromised,” Dhillon said. He added the education mafia planted these individuals, and the gang operated with a clear network.Five separate FIRs have been lodged by the police of the five districts.The EOU has taken over the probe. So far, local police have made 22 arrests in Munger (first case registered on April 15), three in Nalanda, two in Begusarai, and one in Vaishali on Saturday and two in Gaya on Tuesday.All arrested individuals, including candidates, biometric operators and alleged suppliers of tablets, are now under the EOU custody. The SIT, formed just days ago, is in the process of transferring case diaries, seizures and court permissions. Seizures include mobile phones, biometric devices and admit cards of candidates.Errors in biometric data have been found at several exam centres. In some cases, even though candidates were recorded as present, their identity records did not match, said an official.Dhillon confirmed that the fraud affected all three papers of the single-sitting objective examination. “It has been found that the fraud took place in five districts, which is why the SIT had to be formed,” he said. While the investigation is currently focused on these districts, officials suspect the racket may be wider. “It has to be seen how many biometric candidates paid money,” he said.A key question now being examined is how Sai Educare Private Limited — already blacklisted by the NTA two months after the BPSC advertisement was issued in Aug 2025 — secured the contract. The tender process for BPSC examinations is kept confidential, with no public advertisements issued, unlike regular govt tenders. Only a handful of senior BPSC officials were aware of the details.“The team is going to inquire from the BPSC officials about the whole process,” Dhillon said. He added that the company was duty-bound to disclose its blacklisting, and the BPSC will be asked if it received any prior information.The EOU DIG described the arrests as “just the beginning.” The gang involved not only biometric staff but also candidates and external facilitators. “The education mafia connection still needs to be established,” he added.
