Fake PwD certificates, solvers used in IBPS exam racket; four held by UP STF in Kanpur

The Uttar Pradesh STF arrested four people in Kanpur after unearthing an alleged IBPS exam racket that used fake disability certificates to seat professional solvers beside candidates. The case has opened a wider probe into the cheating network, its money trail and the source of forged documents.IBPS recruitment exam scam: UP STF busts gang using fake disability certificates, proxy candidatesThe Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP STF) has busted a gang allegedly helping candidates clear IBPS recruitment exams by using fake disability certificates and professional “solvers” to take the test on their behalf.The STF arrested four people, including two solvers, during an online examination for the recruitment of Probationary Officers (POs) and managers in cooperatives and participating banks in the Sachendi area of Kanpur.According to investigators, the gang exploited the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category. Candidates were allegedly shown as disabled using forged certificates, allowing a solver to sit beside them during the examination as an authorised assistant.SOLVERS PAID LAKHS TO TAKE EXAMSThe professional solvers would effectively help candidates clear the examination in exchange for lakhs of rupees. The STF caught two such solvers at the examination centre along with two candidates. The arrested candidates have been identified as Avnish Yadav and Ankit Sachan, both residents of Kanpur. The two alleged solvers, Ashish Kumar and Rahul Kumar Sinha, are from Madhubani and Sheikhpura Sarai in Bihar.STF HUNTS FOR GANG LEADERSThe gang was allegedly operated by Manish Kumar Mishra of Jhansi and Raju Gupta of Bihar. Mishra, originally from Sant Kabir Nagar, is currently residing in St. Francis Colony, Jhansi. The STF has intensified its search for Mishra and Gupta, who are suspected to be key figures behind the racket.The arrests have exposed an alleged organised attempt to misuse the PwD examination system to facilitate cheating in competitive recruitment exams. The STF is now investigating the network, its financial dealings and the source of the forged disability certificates.The crackdown is expected to shed further light on how the gang recruited candidates and arranged solvers for examinations.- EndsPublished By: Apoorva AnandPublished On: Aug 24, 2026 16:29 IST