Patna: A large-scale examination fraud racket has been exposed in Bihar after police and district officials arrested 30 people allegedly linked to an interstate “solver gang” that attempted to manipulate the NEET-UG re-examination held on Sunday.
The arrests were made during a joint operation conducted at multiple examination centres in Lakhisarai district, where authorities claim proxy candidates, biometric operators and intermediaries worked together to bypass security systems and allow impersonators to sit the examination in place of registered candidates.
The case has raised serious concerns about the integrity of examination security systems, particularly the role of outsourced biometric verification personnel.
Three FIRs Registered
Authorities have registered three separate First Information Reports (FIRs) in connection with the alleged malpractice.
Under Kawaiya Police Station, two cases — numbered 244/26 and 245/26 — were registered after arrests were made at Hasanpur High School and KRK High School examination centres.
A third case, numbered 64/26, was registered at Kiul Police Station following arrests at Kendriya Vidyalaya and other locations.
Officials said the operation led to the arrest of 30 people, including proxy candidates, alleged facilitators and members of biometric verification teams.
MBBS Student Allegedly Caught As Proxy Candidate
One of the first breakthroughs came at Hasanpur High School after examination officials received information that a candidate was attempting to appear for the examination on behalf of another student.
According to officials, Centre Superintendent Mrityunjay Kumar alerted the magistrate and police personnel deployed at the centre after receiving the tip-off.
A suspicious candidate was detained during document verification at the entrance.
During questioning, the individual allegedly identified himself as Mantosh Kumar, a resident of Madhepura and a fourth-year MBBS student at New Jalpaiguri Government Medical College.
Investigators allege he was attempting to take the examination using the roll number of Sanjit Kumar, a candidate from Nalanda district.
Police subsequently detained Sanjit Kumar and his brother Ranjeet Kumar, who is alleged to have acted as an intermediary in the arrangement.
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Biometric Staff Accused Of Facilitating Entry
Investigators claim the examination fraud was made possible through the collusion of personnel responsible for biometric verification.
According to police, members of the biometric team admitted allowing proxy candidates to enter despite fingerprint mismatches.
Officials allege that the contractor responsible for biometric operations and several personnel deployed at the centre were paid to facilitate the scheme.
One biometric supervisor reportedly admitted that a candidate’s fingerprints did not match official records but was nevertheless allowed to enter the examination hall.
The allegations have triggered scrutiny of the role played by outsourced verification agencies.
Another Proxy Candidate Detained At KRK High School
A separate operation at KRK High School resulted in the detention of another candidate accused of impersonation.
Officials said a raid was conducted inside an examination room after suspicions were raised about a candidate seated against a particular roll number.
During interrogation, the individual allegedly identified himself as Vivek Kumar, a resident of Muzaffarpur and a fourth-year MBBS student at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College.
Police later detained another individual, Arpit Singh, after receiving information from the accused.
The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team subsequently seized alleged forged identity documents, altered admit cards and electronic devices used during the verification process.
Authorities said 25 mobile phones were also recovered from biometric personnel.
Medical Students Among Those Arrested
The investigation has uncovered the involvement of several students pursuing medical and allied healthcare courses across India.
Among those detained at the Kendriya Vidyalaya examination centre were students reportedly enrolled in institutions including UCMS Delhi, AIIMS Raebareli, NMCH Patna, BHU Varanasi and other medical colleges.
Officials are now investigating whether the accused were part of a larger organised network operating across multiple states.
Security Measures Allegedly Bypassed
The arrests have come despite extensive security arrangements put in place for the re-examination.
According to administrative officials, candidates were subjected to biometric verification, mobile phones were prohibited at centres, and electronic jammers were installed to prevent communication.
Authorities said invigilators and staff members had deposited their phones before the examination began.
Despite these measures, investigators allege that collusion by members of the biometric verification team effectively compromised the system.
Families Plead For Fair Investigation
The arrests have also triggered emotional reactions from the families of some of the accused biometric workers and local youths detained during the operation.
Ram, a resident of Ward No. 31 in Kavaiya, along with other family members of those arrested, appealed to the district administration to conduct an impartial investigation. They maintained that their children were students and had no knowledge of the alleged examination fraud network.
The families claimed that the young men had been engaged through the biometric agency for temporary work and were unaware of the larger conspiracy allegedly being run by the organisers of the racket.
“They did not know that the contractor and the masterminds had planned such a massive criminal operation. Our children are innocent and should not be punished without a fair investigation,” one family member said.
The relatives have demanded that authorities thoroughly examine the role of all individuals involved before drawing conclusions regarding the culpability of those arrested.
Police Hunt Alleged Masterminds
Meanwhile, investigators have intensified efforts to trace the alleged masterminds behind the operation.
Officials said Cyber DSP Ajit Pratap Singh Chauhan and Traffic SHO Ajay Kumar have been entrusted with conducting a detailed investigation into the cases registered in connection with the examination fraud.
Police have invoked provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) as well as the stringent and non-bailable provisions of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
According to investigators, the alleged kingpin of the network, identified as Ravi Kumar alias Ravishankar alias Samrat, a student of Pawapuri Medical College, remains absconding. Police are also searching for Pramod Kumar Yadav, the contractor responsible for biometric verification services, who is accused of playing a central role in facilitating the fraud.
Officials said special teams have been constituted to track down the absconding accused, and raids are being carried out across multiple districts as part of the ongoing investigation.
The police believe the racket may have operated across several states, using proxy candidates, intermediaries and compromised biometric verification systems to infiltrate competitive examinations. Investigators are now examining financial transactions, call records and digital evidence to determine the full scale of the alleged network.
