Police in Punjab province of India have arrested 10 more members of an inter-state syndicate accused of using digital devices to facilitate cheating during a state pharmacy recruitment exam, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 37.

The latest suspects were taken into custody across Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab in connection with the exam conducted by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.

Investigating officers told a local court that the network supplied candidates with electronic devices, charging between 300,000 and 1.3 million rupees ($4,800 to $21,000 CAD) per applicant. While authorities denied that the test paper was leaked in advance, they confirmed that an organized effort was made to electronically beam answers to test-takers during the exam.

The scandal has sparked growing backlash, with opposition political parties, student organizations, and local unions planning protests outside the university on July 29. Critics accuse state officials of downplaying a broader paper leak and protecting high-ranking authorities involved in the operation.