Ten people, including a staff member of the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), have been arrested for their alleged involvement in an engineering seat-blocking scam, police said on Tuesday.

According to police, the matter came to light on November 13 when KEA officials lodged a complaint at the Malleswaram police station, reporting a suspected seat-blocking scheme during the 2024-2025 undergraduate engineering admissions.

A senior police officer said that during the investigation, three private engineering college managers were questioned based on the complaint, which led to the collection of evidence.

"We have arrested 10 people, including a KEA staffer. The others include middlemen and staff members from some engineering colleges," the officer said.

The arrests were made over some time, with three suspects apprehended on Monday. They were produced in court and have been remanded to 10 days of police custody, he added.

Police said a case was registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and criminal breach of trust, along with provisions of the IT Act, based on KEA's complaint.

According to the FIR, some candidates with no intention of taking seats were allegedly used to make option entries for colleges. Unauthorised persons obtained login IDs and passwords from 52 engineering candidates and then made option entries on their behalf, posing as the candidates.

In a statement, police alleged that the accused blocked engineering seats under the government quota at BMS Engineering College, Akash Institute of Engineering and Technology, and New Horizon College of Engineering, thereby benefiting private colleges and depriving eligible candidates of their opportunities.

The investigation revealed that the accused used mobile phones and laptops to log in from various locations, allegedly to benefit private colleges in Goa, Bengaluru, Shivamogga, Davanagere, and Kadur in Chikkamagaluru, the statement said.

Using this modus operandi, the accused blocked government quota seats, cheating both eligible students and the KEA, the statement added.

Police further said that the accused had destroyed evidence by burning 13 mobile phones, several documents, and three laptops used in the crime. The remains have been seized for further investigation.

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