Activists of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), along with its youth wing, the Youth Akali Dal, and the Student Organisation of India (SOI), today staged a protest outside the main gate of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) here, demanding the immediate cancellation of the Pharmacy Officer Recruitment Examination for 454 pharmacist officer posts, alleging that it had been compromised by a high-tech cheating racket.The protesters raised slogans against the state government and demanded the resignation of Punjab Higher Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, holding him responsible for the alleged security lapse. They also called for an independent judicial or central agency probe into recruitment-related frauds in the state.The examination, held on July 19 from 11 am to 1.30 pm, came under scrutiny after a university flying squad detected suspicious activity among candidates and recovered concealed micro-earpieces during the test. A candidate identified as Ayush allegedly used a spy pen fitted with a micro-camera to photograph the question paper just 10 minutes after the examination began. The images were reportedly transmitted via WhatsApp to an associate in Bhiwani, Haryana, who forwarded them to a makeshift control room in Faridkot. From there, solvers allegedly dictated answers to candidates through Bluetooth earpieces and battery-operated wireless devices concealed in their clothing.Police said candidates had allegedly paid between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 13 lakh each to receive answers in real time. Acting on the university’s alert, Faridkot police arrested 26 candidates and alleged conspirators. Officers recovered 27 battery-operated wireless communication devices, along with pen cameras, micro-earpieces and mobile phones. Gurmeet Singh, an employee of a polytechnic college in Fazilka, has been identified as one of the key operators behind the network.Responding to the opposition’s allegations, Bains clarified that the question paper had not been leaked before the examination and described the incident as an attempted cheating operation that was detected in real time by the university and police. Reiterating the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards recruitment malpractice, he said he would not hesitate to resign if any personal negligence or systemic lapse on his part was established.Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and other AAP leaders also rejected the opposition’s allegations, maintaining that the police had dismantled the racket promptly and that no undeserving candidate had benefited from the attempted fraud.Police investigations are continuing across Punjab and neighbouring Haryana to trace the remaining members of the syndicate. Meanwhile, BFUHS authorities said they were reviewing scanning technology and security protocols ahead of future recruitment examinations.