The gang members, according to the police, had identified aspirants both from within and outside the state. They assured the aspirants that the question paper supplied by them and the PEB would be the same.

'The money was to be paid in stages to the accused. Some amount was to be paid when the paper was delivered and the rest after the examination if all the questions tallied,' Additional Superintendent of Police Ruchi Srivastava said.

She said the culprits used to keep the original mark-sheets of the aspirants telling them that if they didn't pay the rest of the money after the examination, they wouldn't get the documents back.

'Of the 12 people arrested, 10 were already remanded to police custody for a week while the mastermind Shashi Gurjal is being brought to Bhopal after which he would be produced in court,' she said.