Two agents arrested by the CBI for defrauding NEET 2025 aspirants by promising increased scores. No NTA employee involvement has been found.
The CBI has arrested two individuals for allegedly extorting millions of rupees from NEET UG 2025 aspirants and their parents by promising to manipulate their scores. This action was taken under a criminal case registered on June 9th. The arrested accused have been identified as Sandeep Shah, a resident of Solapur, Maharashtra, and Salim Patel, a resident of Navi Mumbai.
False Claims: Claiming Connections to NTA Officials
The investigation revealed that Sandeep Shah met with parents at a five-star hotel in Mumbai, claiming to be connected to senior NTA officials. He asserted his ability to alter NEET results. Salim Patel, on the other hand, ran an admission consultancy in Navi Mumbai and collaborated with Shah to entrap candidates.
Demanded ₹90 Lakh from Aspirants
The CBI's preliminary investigation revealed that Sandeep Shah initially demanded ₹90 lakh from each aspirant, later reducing it to ₹87.5 lakh. He assured that even with low scores, the student's rank would be improved by showing a higher score. Furthermore, he promised to provide information about the altered scores six hours before the results were released.
Forensic Examination Yields Crucial Evidence
Forensic examination of mobile phones and other digital devices uncovered several shocking facts. The accused's mobile chats revealed they had collected aspirants' names, roll numbers, admit cards, and OMR sheets. Information regarding the use of a hawala network for financial transactions also surfaced.
Third Individual Under Investigation
The CBI team also stated that the accused were in contact with another consultancy operator based in Pune, whose role is currently under investigation. No arrests have been made against this individual yet, but investigating agencies are continuously collecting evidence.
Arrest and Remand Procedure
The CBI arrested Sandeep Shah on June 9th in Mumbai and Salim Patel on June 10th in Sangli. Both were presented before the Special CBI Court, Mumbai, where they were initially remanded in police custody until June 13th, later extended to June 16th.
No NTA or Government Official Involved
So far, the investigation has not yielded any evidence suggesting the involvement of any government official or NTA employee in this fraud. The accused merely made false claims to mislead parents and attempted to extort millions of rupees.
