Bihar Police busts 'Munna Bhai MBBS'-style proxy exam racket
What's the story
Bihar Police have uncovered a proxy exam racket during the NEET-UG retest in Lakhisarai. The operation, likened to a Munna Bhai MBBS-style cheating scheme, involved candidates hiring "solvers" to take the medical entrance exam on their behalf. The police have arrested 24 people in connection with this case, including medical students and employees of the biometric company involved in the examination process.
Suspect details
One of the masterminds arrested
Among those arrested is Mayank Kashyap. Raj, a student of ANM Medical College and Hospital, Gaya, is suspected to be one of the masterminds behind the operation. He had previously been questioned by the CBI in connection with a 2024 NEET paper leak case. Kashyap, a third-year MBBS student at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), was caught entering the Hasanpur High School examination center posing as a biometric company employee.
Employee arrests
Arrest of biometric company employees
The police investigation also led to the arrest of 14 employees of a biometric company involved in the examination process. After Kashyap's arrest, police raided KRK Higher Secondary School and Kendriya Vidyalaya in Lakhisarai. These raids resulted in the arrest of seven candidates and several other people linked to the alleged operation. Investigators suspect that this gang had planned to manipulate the exam process by using insiders and replacing candidates with trained solvers.
Student involvement
Involvement of other medical and nursing students
The probe has also revealed the involvement of a Banaras Hindu University nursing student and an AIIMS Rae Bareli student. Poonam Kumari was allegedly caught appearing in the exam by posing as another candidate, while Saurabh Jha was also arrested. The investigation has raised questions over how these medical and nursing students managed to participate despite restrictions imposed by their institutions during the NEET exam period.
Ongoing investigation
Investigation to uncover full network behind proxy exam racket
Medical colleges had instructed students not to leave their campuses during the examination. However, some students reportedly remained absent from these activities. The Bihar Police's investigation is now focused on uncovering the full network behind this proxy exam racket and determining how far-reaching this manipulation went in the NEET re-examination process.