Patna/New Delhi: The arrest of Santosh Kumar Jaiswal has brought fresh attention to the growing concerns around exam fraud in India, after Delhi Police Crime Branch said it had uncovered a network that allegedly cheated students and parents by promising leaked NEET UG 2026 papers and guaranteed admission to MBBS colleges. Jaiswal, a national secretary of Rashtriya Janata Dal, is accused of being the main person behind the operation. Three other men were also arrested as police said the group had created a carefully planned scam targeting students preparing for one of the country’s most competitive entrance exams.
Police said the racket became active before the NEET exam held on 3 May and approached families through direct contact, promising to help their children secure admission to medical colleges. Parents were allegedly told that the original question paper would be given to candidates before the examination and that the gang had links strong enough to guarantee admission. In several cases, students were taken to rented flats and hotels in Mahipalpur and Ghaziabad, where the accused kept them while trying to maintain trust. During raids, police rescued 18 students, including several minors, who had been placed under the gang’s control during the operation.
The fraud involved large amounts of money. Police said the gang demanded between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 30 lakh from each family. Several parents reportedly paid advance amounts and also handed over school mark sheets, documents and signed blank cheques after being convinced that their children would get a medical seat. The fake question papers shown to students were prepared using old NEET papers and coaching institute study material. Investigators said the pages were edited and arranged in a way that made them look real. Officers recovered 149 pages of such material during searches and said it was used to mislead candidates into believing the leak was genuine.
Along with Jaiswal, police arrested Dr Akhlaq Alam, Sant Pratap Singh and Vinod Patel. According to investigators, each had a separate role in the operation. Jaiswal allegedly managed the network, while Alam prepared the fake papers. Singh arranged accommodation and movement, and Patel contacted students and their families. The information that led to the arrests first came from Surat Police, after which Delhi Police launched raids and surveillance. A case has now been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and officials say the investigation may reveal links to similar fraud networks in several other states.
