A fraud case linked to the Common Nursing Entrance Test, or CNET 2026, has surfaced in Lucknow, where the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force arrested a man accused of deceiving candidates by falsely claiming he could provide the examination paper through social media channels.
The accused, identified as Om Kumar, is a resident of Pandarak in Patna district of Bihar. He was arrested from the Sushant Golf City area on Saturday after an FIR was lodged in the matter by Devashish Shukla, examination controller of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University.
Fake Paper Claims Made on Social Media
According to the complaint, the accused claimed on social media platforms that he could arrange access to the CNET 2026 question paper. Candidates were allegedly asked to deposit money through digital payment platforms in return for the promised paper.
During the investigation, police found one case in which a fraud of Rs 2,000 had taken place. The complaint alleged that the accused’s actions affected the confidentiality and fairness of the examination process. The STF said the complainant was able to identify the fraud through two UPI IDs and a Telegram channel linked to the operation.
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Arrest Made After Digital Trail Was Tracked
Police said Om Kumar was arrested after investigators followed the digital trail connected to the fraud allegations. The STF recovered two mobile phones and two Aadhaar cards from him.
Officials said the gang was not only making false claims about paper leaks but was also cheating candidates in the process. The material recovered is expected to form part of the continuing investigation into the wider network.
The FIR in the case had already been registered by the university authorities, and the arrest followed the STF’s inquiry into the social media and payment links allegedly used by the accused.
Fraud Allegedly Running Since 2022
During questioning, Om Kumar allegedly told investigators that he had been carrying out such fraud since 2022. He and his associates are accused of making fake claims of paper leaks in competitive examinations across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and other states.
Police said the accused used to create Telegram channels in the name of paper leaks and collect between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 from candidates. On the day of the examination, those channels would allegedly be shut down, only for new ones to be created and the same operation restarted.
The STF said fewer complaints were made because the amount taken from each victim was relatively small. Investigators are now searching for Om Kumar’s associates and examining his bank accounts and UPI accounts as the probe continues.
About the author – Rehan Khan is a law student and legal journalist with a keen interest in cybercrime, digital fraud, and emerging technology laws. He writes on the intersection of law, cybersecurity, and online safety, focusing on developments that impact individuals and institutions in India.
