Thursday, September 8 2005 11:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The CBI yesterday (Sept 7, 2005) carried out searches at the residences of 43 candidates who were prima facie found to have allegedly used unfair means in the Common Entrance Examination (CEE) held earlier this year.

During the searches carried out in Delhi, Ghaziabad and Gurgaon, 11 mobile handsets, which were used in this offence, were recovered, a CBI spokesman said here, adding these mobiles were used with SIM cards on which the messages containing answer keys were sent.

The examination was held on May 29 this year for admission into Delhi College of Engineering and Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology.

The Delhi High Court in its order of August 23 had given six weeks time to CBI to file a report with the Delhi University.

CBI has arrested six persons in connection with this case; Pankaj Dahiya, Hamanshu Sharma, Lalit and Sandip Hooda, Divya Sethi and Surender Gehlot -- who were alleged to have arranged answers to the question for the candidates for a consideration of Rs four-five lakh from each candidate.

One of the main accused in the case, Pravin Dhaiya, against whom a Non-Bailable Warrant has been issued by a Special CBI Court in Delhi, is on the run.

Investigation carried out by CBI so far has prima facie disclosed that at least 52 candidates have used unfair means to obtain higher ranks in the examination.

Some of these candidates have come forward and confessed using SMSs received through mobile phones for marking answer sheets. They have also deposited the SIMs and the handsets, used by them, with the CBI.

The CBI spokesman claimed that the agency sleuths had established that the question papers were snatched from two exam centres by the gang members and a group of IIT students solved the paper.

Each group of IIT student, arranged by Pankaj Dahiya, was promised Rs 2-3 lakh, the spokesman said.

The CBI on July 19 registered a case against 21 students and unknown officials of Delhi University for alleged malpractices in the CEE-2005 for Delhi College of Engineering.

The case was registered on the basis of a complaint by the Registrar of Delhi University. Preliminary inquiry by the agency revealed that some candidates used unfair means to get through the competitive examination while striking a deal with a former student of the DCE at Rs four lakh per person.

These candidates were given a Hutch SIM, which was activated before the examination. They received an SMS in the examination hall with the help of which they answered questions.