Mumbai: Two candidates in the jail police recruitment drive set record times during the 1,600-meter run, only to be disqualified later for cheating.
Ram Suresh Gantewad from Himayatnagar and Shridhar Madhukar Pallewad from Kandhar, both in Nanded district, appeared for the running test on Thursday morning at the Railway Police Ground in Ghatkopar East. Several authorities, including officials from the Pant Nagar police station, were present to oversee the tests.
The candidates completed their 1,600-meter run, and an official, following standard procedure, checked their net times. Upon noticing a discrepancy, he alerted other officials from the Reserve Police and Armed Police forces. Together, they approached the technician monitoring the records.
Ram Suresh Gantewad's net time was recorded at 4:45.300, while Shridhar Madhukar Pallewad's time stood at 4:44.900. However, the world record for the 1,600 meters, held by Moroccan runner Hicham El Guerrouj, is 3:43.13, raising further suspicion.
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Each runner is fitted with a velcro strap holding electronic chips on their ankle before starting the mandatory run for the constable recruitment. This device registers a lap each time the runner crosses the sensor plate at the starting point after completing a round. It also records the total time taken to finish the test.
In the 1,600-meter run, runners are required to complete four laps. However, in the case of the Nanded-based candidates, they managed to finish only two laps while still breaking the world record—strongly indicating they had cheated.
Officials revealed that the duo conspired to cheat in order to clear the test at all costs. "They exchanged chips before each lap. It’s possible that one candidate wore the other’s chip and completed the first lap while the second ran slowly to conserve energy," an official explained. "In the next lap, the second candidate likely wore both chips and sprinted, while the other rested. This alternating strategy enabled them to break all records."
The authorities, upon discovering the cheating, immediately disqualified both candidates and alerted the Pant Nagar police, who registered an FIR against them for cheating.
In a similar incident during another police constable recruitment drive at the same Ghatkopar ground, two brothers, Vijay Kachhway and Yash Kachhway, were caught cheating during the 1,600-meter run. They too exchanged chips to secure higher scores but were disqualified. An FIR has also been filed against them at the Pant Nagar police station for cheating.
