CBI team reaches Godhra to probe irregularities in NEET-UG exam

A CBI team reached Godhra city in Gujarat's Panchmahal district on Monday to investigate the case of alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam held on May 5, officials said.

A case was registered by the Godhra police on May 8 under various Indian Penal Code sections, including criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal breach of trust, for allegedly trying to help 27 candidates clear the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) for a sum of Rs 10 lakh each.

Superintendent of Police, Panchmahal, Himanshu Solanki said a team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reached Godhra and met local police officers.

"We will extend all the support they need to investigate the case," he said.

The CBI on Sunday filed a fresh FIR against unidentified persons under IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating), among others, amid countrywide protests and litigation by students for a probe into the paper leak claims.

Gujarat's home department on Sunday issued a notification to transfer cases of NEET-UG paper leaks registered by the state police to the CBI, paving the way for the central agency to take over the probe.

The NEET-UG exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.

The Gujarat police have so far arrested five persons, including the principal and teacher of a school in Godhra, in connection with the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam.

The racket was unearthed at a Godhra school designated as a centre for the NEET-UG, held on May 5 for entrance to medical colleges, after the district collector received a tip-off that some persons were involved in malpractice, as per the FIR registered on May 9.

The arrested persons are Tushar Bhatt, school principal Parshottam Sharma, Vadodara-based education consultant Parsuram Roy, his aide Vibhor Anand and alleged middleman Arif Vohra, SP Solanki earlier said.

As per the FIR registered at Godhra taluka police station on a complaint of the district education officer, Rs 7 lakh cash was recovered from Bhatt, who was working as a teacher at Jay Jalaram School and was appointed the deputy centre superintendent for NEET in the city.

Out of 27 students who had either paid in advance or agreed to pay money to Roy and others, only three were able to clear the exam, according to sources.

The accused told the candidates to solve questions they knew and leave the others blank, which would be filled when papers are collected after the exam, as per the FIR.