"The proxy candidates could not be arrested as they did not appear for the exam on the day we had laid a trap. It appears the JEE case scared them," a CBI officer said.
Weeks after unearthing a JEE Mains exam racket where proxy candidates appeared in place of real ones for pecuniary considerations, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now blown the lid off a similar racket in NEET exams.
The agency has arrested four people and conducted searches at multiple locations in connection with a Nagpur-based education services company that promised to help students pass NEET exams for a sum of Rs 50 lakh each candidate.
According to CBI, a source informed that the NEET UG-2021 conducted on September 12 in pen and paper mode had been rigged. The agency learnt Nagour based R.K. Education Career Guidance run by one Parimal Kotpalliwar solicits aspiring candidates by offering them admission in top government Medical Colleges by adopting fraudulent means and unfair practices.
The CBI, which registered a case in the matter on September 12, said parents of prospective candidates had been contacted by the firm and were being assured of admissions in medical colleges by manipulating the process of examination conducted by NEET by using proxy candidates.
“The parents of desirous candidate are asked to deposit Post Dated Cheques (PDCs) of the agreed amount and Original Mark sheets of the candidate for Class-X and Class-XII as security which they would return after realising the agreed amount which is up to 50 lakhs,” the CBI FIR has said.
According to the agency, the user IDs and passwords of the candidates appearing for the examination had been collected by Parimal Kotpalliwar and his associates and necessary modifications had been made for getting desired examination centers as planned by them.
“They also use the process of mixing/morphing photographs to facilitate use of proxycandidates for appearing in the examination. Copies of e-Aadhar cards of candidates are being collected for the purpose of making forged ID cards.
He also assures candidates of providing answer keys and manipulating OMR sheets, the CBI FIR has said.
The CBI also identified certain candidates who had paid money to the firm for passing the exams. They were identified as Aniket Tarapure, Hritik Mohite, Ritesh Bhajipale, Rusheekesh Thombre and Shubham Sangole.
The CBI said that proxy candidates (exam solvers) for above candidates had been arranged by Kotpalliwar through one
Diwakar and his associate Munna. Kotpalliwarhad allegedly come to Delhi on September 9 and paid Rs 1 lakh to Munna.
Sources said the arrested accused include owners of the accused company and middlemen. “The proxy candidates could not be arrested as they did not appear for the exam on the day we had laid a trap. It appears the JEE case scared them,” a CBI officer said.
Source: Read Full Article