Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board on Thursday lodged an FIR after several Telegram channels allegedly circulated messages claiming to provide the question paper of the upcoming sub-inspector recruitment examination in exchange for money. According to the complaint filed by inspector Satendra Kumar of the social media cell of the recruitment board, continuous monitoring of social media platforms revealed suspicious activities on Telegram ahead of the written examination scheduled for March 14 and 15, 2026.During surveillance, three Telegram channels — ‘UP SI UP POLICE-2026′, ‘RESULT PANEL PVT TM’, and ‘UP SI EXAM PAPER UP SI-2026′ — were found allegedly advertising access to the question paper of the Sub-Inspector Direct Recruitment-2025 examination. The channels reportedly promised candidates the exam paper in return for payments ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. Investigators said one channel circulated a UPI ID — Armancena687@okicici — asking candidates to deposit Rs 20,000 to obtain the question paper before the examination. Another channel allegedly shared a QR code and demanded Rs 10,000 in advance through Google Pay and another Rs 10,000 after the exam. A third Telegram channel circulated details of an Airtel Payments Bank account, asking candidates to transfer Rs 10,000 before the exam and another Rs 10,000 later in exchange for the paper.Officials said the messages were intended to mislead aspirants and generate illegal monetary gains by falsely promising leaked exam papers. Police believe the accused were attempting to exploit candidates and create confusion among those preparing for the recruitment examination.The complaint states that such activities could compromise the integrity of the examination and disrupt the recruitment process. Police said the channels were using computer networks and social media platforms to commit fraud and obtain unlawful financial benefits.
