Based email: How Rajasthan Police busted a teacher recruitment ‘scam’

A typo.

That’s what gave away an alleged job scam in Rajasthan.

This week, the Rajasthan Police arrested 20 people for allegedly trying to secure government jobs under the sports quota using fake certificates during the 2022–23 third-grade teacher recruitment in the state.

The 2022–23 third-grade teacher recruitment was a major drive for primary and upper primary school teachers.

Eighteen of the arrested 20 people were candidates, officials said.

Vishal Bansal, the additional director general of police of the Special Operations Group, told the media that simultaneous raids in 14 districts of Rajasthan and one location in Haryana on March 12 led police to uncover the fraud and arrest 20 people.

“During the probe, investigators recovered a screenshot of an email on the mobile phone of an employee which had been sent in the name of the Taekwondo Federation, claiming that the sports certificates of 39 candidates had been verified and a report had been submitted to the Education Department,” he said.

“On closer examination, investigators noticed that the word ‘secretary’ misspelled in the email, which raised suspicion.

We then followed this lead and also secured a list of office bearers from the Taekwondo Federation of India.”
The fake email ID was spelled as secreatarytaekwondoindia@gmail.com instead of genuine email ID is secretarytaekwondoindia@gmail.com, police said.

The probe allegedly found that the email was created in Dubai and used by a middleman identified as Vimalendu Kumar Jha.

Investigators also found that the suspects had intercepted an email from the Directorate of Elementary Education to the Taekwondo Federation seeking verification of candidates’ sports certificates in the 2022 drive, and used the fake ID to send forged verification reports in an attempt to secure jobs for some candidates.

The arrested people — as well as 18 others — have been booked under sections related to cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy, as well as Section 66-D (punishment for cheating by personation) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (amended in 2008).

Parul Kulshrestha is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Rajasthan.

A lawyer turned journalist, she brings a unique cross-disciplinary perspective to her reporting, blending legal precision with deep social inquiry to cover one of India's most culturally and politically vibrant regions.

Expertise and Experience
Legal-Journalistic Synergy: Parul’s transition from a legal background to mainstream journalism provides her with a distinct advantage in interpreting policy, legislation, and judicial impacts.

This expertise allows her to "read between the lines" of government orders and court rulings affecting the public.

Diverse Beat: With years of experience across both mainstream newsrooms and independent journalism, she has built high-level authority in several critical areas:
Nomadic Tribes & Marginalized Communities: She is recognized for her sensitive and in-depth reporting on the struggles and rights of Rajasthan's nomadic populations, often giving a voice to those outside the traditional political spotlight.

Gender & Social Justice: Parul focuses on the intersection of law and gender, covering issues ranging from women’s safety and reproductive rights to the socio-economic empowerment of rural women.

Environmental & Political Reporting: She tracks Rajasthan’s complex political landscape—including electoral shifts and bureaucratic changes—alongside critical environmental concerns like water scarcity and land use.

Academic & Professional Pedigree: Her background as a lawyer, combined with her rise to the rank of Principal Correspondent at a national broadsheet, establishes her as a senior voice in the media landscape....

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