Various teaching aspirants have apparently been called by suspected fraudsters, who sought bribes in order to confirm their passing after those called had recently sat for the MTET exams for the state.
What has been even more disparaging is the fact that the fraudsters managed to get hold of a database with personal numbers of teaching aspirants raising questions on the source of the leak.
As per the aspirants, calls began to come to them since more than a week, with the fraudsters promising them confirmed positions after an initial payment varying from Rs 30,000 – 50,000 and thereafter looking to fleece them off lakhs.
The first such case was reported by one of the MTET aspirants who posted his ordeal on social media following which more such cases have come to the fore. A database of at least eight such numbers have been found with details of accounts also being provided by the fraudsters for transfers. What is even more interesting is that the calls have been coming from people who seem out of the state of Meghalaya.
“I was called by one Ankit Kumar who told me that if I want to pass MTET, an amount of Rs 1.2 lakh was to be deposited to his account. I have been provided with his account details and would request everyone to be aware,” posted one of the aspirants on social media.
Various other names, of people from outside the state have surfaced in the complaints posted by them.
MTET exams were held on Oct 9 this year with the results of the exams yet to be provided.
Meanwhile taking the gravity of the situation faced by the MTET aspirants, an FIR has been filed by Director, Educational Research and Training (DERT), JP Lakiang at the Laitumkhrah police station on the matter yesterday.
“MTET was conducted in a free and fair manner under supervision by authorities at various centres in the state. There have been cases of calls being received by the public asking for handsome amounts of money for them to be able to qualify. In order for the candidates not to fall for such fraud and tarnish the name of DERT, I request that the matter be taken up and attempts to nab them are made,” he said in the FIR.
The FIR has also attached at least six phone numbers that DERT is aware of that have been seeking cash from MTET aspirants.
