It could have been a plot straight from a Bollywood script—impersonators or “solvers” appearing for recruitment exams using altered biometrics. But in Madhya Pradesh, this fiction turned into an administrative nightmare when authorities uncovered a widespread fraud operation targeting the 2023 Police Constable Recruitment Exam.
Much like the iconic character from the film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., these imposters leveraged manipulated Aadhaar biometrics, replacing candidate fingerprints and photographs to dodge verification protocols. Authorities said the scam was executed across multiple districts including Gwalior, Morena, and Sheopur, with dozens of arrests already made.
The accused manipulated biometrics not just before the exam but even afterward—during the joining process—by reverting Aadhaar identities back to their original owners, thereby legitimizing forged selection.
Echoes of Vyapam and an Expanding Web
The case has reignited memories of the infamous Vyapam scam, highlighting once again the vulnerability of India’s recruitment and biometric identification systems. Investigators have confirmed that fake candidates cleared the exam using Aadhaar cards embedded with altered fingerprints and photographs.
After biometric discrepancies surfaced during document verification, deeper probes by Madhya Pradesh Police revealed the scale of the fraud. Several kiosk operators who handled Aadhaar modifications were arrested along with the impersonators. Two recently recruited constables in Sheopur and Morena were also taken into custody.
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Authorities believe the operation was not a one-off scheme but a larger network. Shivpuri-based coaching centers are now under the scanner for allegedly arranging the “solvers,” suggesting a coordinated effort that may involve dozens more across the state.
Systemic Failures and the Road Ahead
The scandal has drawn sharp criticism from public policy experts and digital rights activists who warn that India’s reliance on biometric identification without robust fail-safes creates avenues for manipulation. Aadhaar, once heralded as a secure identity verification solution, stands at the center of the storm—its role both as a tool of authentication and a target of exploitation.
Police officials, including Gwalior SSP Dharamveer Singh, have stated that further arrests are expected as layers of the network are peeled back.
“This was a well-planned operation. We suspect there are many more candidates and facilitators involved,” Singh said.
The Madhya Pradesh government has promised a thorough review of current digital verification procedures for recruitment. Meanwhile, citizens and watchdogs alike question how easily technology designed for security can be turned into a tool for subversion—when power and profit are involved.
