ChatGPT, Electronic Devices Used To Cheat In TSPSC Exams, Accused Provided Answers Via Bluetooth Buds: SIT

In a new development in the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) exam paper leak case, the SIT (Special Investigation Team) has found that one of the accused allegedly used ChatGPT ((Chat Generative Pre-training Transformer) and electronic devices to share answers with the candidates appearing in at least two exams conducted for recruitment in government departments.

Ramesh sold leaked papers of the AEE and DAO exam

The investigation led by SIT revealed that Poola Ramesh, a Divisional Engineer with Telangana State Northern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSNPDCL) allegedly sold question papers related to the exam for the Assistant Engineer (Civil) and also used the latest AI tool and electronic devices to help some candidates writing Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) and Divisional Accounts Officer (DAO) exams.

The accused allegedly shared the answers through electronic devices with almost seven candidates present in the exam hall. As per the sources, this is the first time in the sensational case that the use of ChatGPT and electronic devices has come to light.

On Monday, the investigation team arrested Prashanth, Naresh, Mahesh and Srinivas who allegedly wrote the exam with the help of electronic devices.

Search for the examiner who helped the candidates

The investigating officials are now trying to find out how the candidates managed to enter the exam hall with electronic devices without being detected at the entrance. They were looking for an examiner who helped them in entering the exam hall with the devices — Bluetooth micro earpieces. The examiner is also suspected to have taken photos of question papers and sent them to Ramesh on WhatsApp 10 minutes after the exam started.

Till now, the total number of people arrested in the case has gone up to 49.

How Ramesh received the papers?

Ramesh had received the leaked question paper of the Assistant Engineer (Civil) exam from another accused Poola Ravi Kishore, a junior assistant in the electricity department. Ramesh further sold the leaked question paper to about 25 candidates for Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh each. The exam was held on March 5.

Earlier, in the AEE and DAO exams on January 22 and February 26, Ramesh used the latest AI technology and microelectronic devices to help the aspirants.

After receiving the question paper on his mobile from the exam centre through an examiner, he with the help of four others used ChatGPT to get correct answers and relayed the same to candidates present in the exam hall using Bluetooth earbuds.

A deal of Rs 20-30 Lakh to get the leaked papers

Ramesh allegedly had a deal with each candidate for Rs 20 lakh to Rs 30 lakh.

The TSPSC exam paper leak case is turning out to be more intricate than initially thought as the SIT is making new findings.

The TSPSC scam came to light on March 13 following a complaint by a youth. The police initially arrested nine accused including Praveen Kumar, who worked as an assistant section officer at TSPSC and Rajashekar Reddy, a network admin at TSPSC. They had allegedly stolen question papers of some exams from a computer in a confidential section of the Commission and sold it to other accused.

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15 more were arrested linked to this case

Subsequently, the SIT arrested 15 accused from Mahabubnagar district alone. The investigators later found that the case has links with Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Nagarkurnool, Khammam and Nalgonda districts.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also probing money laundering charges in the case. It also recorded the statements of top TSPSC officials.

(With Input Feeds)