"Guaranteed high score for ₹90 lakh": CBI cracks NEET exam fraud racket

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two men for allegedly running a fraudulent operation promising inflated NEET UG 2025 scores in exchange for nearly ₹90 lakh per candidate. The accused, Sandeep Shah from Solapur and Salim Patel from Navi Mumbai, were found luring low-scoring students and their anxious parents into the scam.

Shah allegedly met families at a five-star hotel in Mumbai and promised that manipulated scores would be sent to them hours before the official result declaration. Investigators revealed that Patel, who runs an admission consultancy, was operating as a key link in the racket, facilitating forged documents and financial transactions through a wider network across Maharashtra.

Chats retrieved from seized phones revealed roll numbers, OMR sheets, and discussions of hawala transactions. The CBI has registered a case of cheating, criminal conspiracy, and forgery, but confirmed that no National Testing Agency (NTA) officials were involved.

The arrests were made on June 9 and 10. Both accused were produced before a Special CBI Court and are currently in extended police custody until June 16. The investigation is ongoing.