DELHI: Delhi Police arrested two men for creating a fake Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) website and cheating job aspirants by advertising non-existent vacancies across various posts.The accused were identified as Kuldeep (30), a B.Com graduate currently pursuing a second-year LL.B., and his associate Piyush (25), a B.Tech graduate in Computer Science, who developed the fake website.The accused advertised fake government vacancies under the prestigious banner of the ASI, claiming seven posts of curator and 84 posts of junior assistant. Exploiting the desperation of aspirants seeking secure government employment, links to the fake recruitment portal were widely circulated across college groups, online forums, and messaging platforms, generating massive interest.Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO) Vinit Kumar said that hundreds of candidates applied, believing they were participating in a legitimate government recruitment drive. The fake website was meticulously designed to replicate the look and feel of an official government portal, leaving applicants with little reason to doubt its authenticity.The fraud was executed through a carefully planned, multi-layered recruitment scam. The main accused engaged a web developer to create a forged yet authentic-looking website in the name of the ASI. The portal used the official logo, colour scheme, layout, and formatting of the ASI and Ministry websites, making it nearly indistinguishable from the genuine government site. Every effort was made to ensure the platform appeared legitimate even to cautious applicants.Once the fake portal was operational, fabricated recruitment advertisements were published along with an online application link. These links and vacancy notifications were aggressively circulated across college groups, social media platforms, and messaging applications to ensure maximum reach.To further enhance credibility, the accused allegedly paid students and intermediaries to promote the fake vacancies within their peer networks. Through this dissemination, the accused received hundreds of online applications from aspirants across different regions. Around 150 candidates were deliberately shortlisted for the written examination, with selection based on candidates’ family backgrounds and financial standing, enabling the accused to later extract maximum illegal gratification.To add another layer of authenticity, the accused booked a reputed examination centre in Jaipur, commonly used by government agencies. The written test was conducted professionally, strictly following the pattern, structure, and protocols of genuine government examinations, including seating arrangements and question paper formats. This elaborate staging eliminated suspicion and reinforced candidates’ belief in the legitimacy of the recruitment process.As per the criminal plan, the accused intended to declare nearly 50% of candidates as “successful” in the written examination and subsequently call them for interviews. The interview stage would have been used to demand hefty bribes in exchange for “guaranteed clearance” and appointment letters for the purported government posts.However, the entire operation was foiled by the police, preventing further victimisation of job aspirants.
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