NEET-2025 Scam: CBI Arrests Two for Cheating Candidates

Ukhrul, June 15: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two private individuals from Maharashtra for allegedly deceiving NEET UG 2025 aspirants and their families by falsely promising to manipulate examination scores in exchange for hefty payments.

According to CBI, a case was registered on June 9, 2025, against a resident of Solapur and another from Navi Mumbai. The duo reportedly duped candidates and their parents by claiming to have connections with fictitious officials from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the NEET UG exams. They assured low-scoring candidates that their marks could be inflated for a price.

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CBI said that the accused demanded as much as ₹90 lakh per candidate, though they eventually settled for ₹87.5 lakh in some cases. Meetings with unsuspecting parents reportedly took place at Hotel ITC Grand Central in Mumbai. The accused claimed they could deliver inflated marks six hours before the official result announcement.

Further probe CBI said uncovered a broader racket involving an admission consultancy firm in Navi Mumbai and another in Pune. The CBI’s forensic examination of the accused’s mobile phones revealed incriminating chats, candidate details, admit cards, OMR sheets, and evidence of financial transactions through Hawala channels.

The main accused was arrested in Mumbai on June 9, while the co-accused was nabbed in Sangli on June 10. Both were presented before the Special CBI Court in Mumbai and were placed under Police Custody Remand (PCR) until June 13, which was later extended to June 16, the agency added.

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CBI has clarified that no officials from the NTA or any other government agencies were found to be involved. The accused had fabricated claims of official connections to gain the trust of parents and students.

The investigation is ongoing.