The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Gujarat): A criminal case has been registered against a schoolteacher and two others in Godhra, Gujarat, for allegedly aiding six candidates in the NEET-UG competitive exam by promising to solve their papers for Rs 10 lakh each. The racket was exposed at a NEET-UG exam center in Godhra following a tip-off received by the district collector.
The accused, Tushar Bhatt, a physics teacher and deputy superintendent of the exam center, along with Parsuram Roy and Arif Vora, were implicated in the scheme. Police recovered Rs 7 lakh in cash from Bhatt’s car, which was an advance payment from Vora to help a candidate secure a spot on the merit list.
According to the FIR filed at Godhra taluka police station by the district education officer, the accused instructed the NEET-UG aspirants to leave unanswered questions blank, intending to fill in the correct answers once the papers were collected. This malpractice came to light when the district additional collector and district education officer inspected Bhatt’s mobile phone during the exam and found a list of 16 candidates’ names, roll numbers, and exam centers sent by co-accused Roy via WhatsApp.
Upon interrogation, Bhatt admitted to being promised Rs 10 lakh per candidate to assist in solving the questions for six aspirants. One candidate had already paid Rs 7 lakh in advance, which was seized by the authorities.
The investigation team confiscated Bhatt’s mobile phone, the cash, and the car from which the cash was recovered. A report was submitted to the district collector, leading to the registration of an FIR against the three accused for criminal breach of trust, cheating, and criminal conspiracy.
“The FIR was lodged last night (Wednesday) and further action is being taken,” stated District Education Officer Kirit Patel.
The NEET-UG (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate) is a national-level entrance exam for students aspiring to pursue undergraduate medical (MBBS), dental (BDS), and AYUSH (BAMS, BUMS, BHMS) courses in government and private institutions across India.
The case highlights the ongoing issue of exam fraud and the measures being taken to ensure the integrity of competitive exams. Further investigation into the incident is underway.
