Unveiling the Mastermind Behind MDCAT Bluetooth Cheating Scandal

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government’s Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has pinpointed the ringleader behind using concealed Bluetooth devices for cheating in the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) without publicly disclosing the individual’s name. Sources indicated that the individual, previously associated with the Public Service Commission and the Federal Public Service Commission before being dismissed for unlawful activities, utilized his knowledge of the system’s vulnerabilities to facilitate cheating during the exam.

Originating from Karak district, the suspect reportedly orchestrated a network exploiting the testing system’s loopholes, utilizing sophisticated Bluetooth devices sourced from China to assist candidates in cheating in return for substantial payments. This individual actively recruited candidates at academies to partake in this scheme, amassing millions of rupees from the participants.

Following students’ petitions concerning cheating via Bluetooth devices during the test, the Peshawar High Court (PHC), under Justice Syed Arshad Ali, directed authorities to withhold the MDCAT results temporarily and summoned responses from relevant officials, prohibiting the Education Test and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) from announcing the results on its website until further notice, with a subsequent hearing scheduled for September 21.

In response to parents’ protests, the K-P government established a seven-member JIT to scrutinize the allegations within a week. The team, chaired by the IG special branch, includes several governmental and educational representatives. This initiative came after the K-P Chief Secretary, Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, condemned the dishonest practices observed during the MDCAT on September 10, wherein over 40 students were caught using micro earpieces connected to Bluetooth devices, leading to the seizure of the gadgets and cancellation of the implicated students’ candidature.