Gujarat Police arrests 5 individuals amid NEET ‘scam’ at Godhra centre

As controversy over the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam continues, Gujarat Police have arrested five persons, including the head of a coaching centre, in connection with alleged cheating in the medical examination in a centre in Godhra.

As per the police complaint lodged in Godhra, around a dozen students, their parents and a Vadodara-based coaching centre run by a group of teachers are involved in the alleged scam.

Those students whose parents had paid money were reportedly asked to skip the questions for which they did not know the answers and later on those answers would be filled in by the teachers as per their arrangement.

Among those arrested include an education consultant Vibhor Anand and Principal Purshottam Sharma for being in connivance with prime accused Tushar Bhatt, who was the deputy superintendent of the NEET centre at the school.

Another key accused is Parashuram Roy, a Vadodara-based immigration agency owner, who was involved with Mr. Anand and others.

The FIR stated that the attempted malpractice was “thwarted” on May 5 during a raid at the NEET centre by an inspection squad of the Education department.

The police have said that four students had allegedly paid ₹66 lakh each while three others gave blank cheques to the coaching centre, Roy Overseas, which was operated by Mr. Roy, who is in judicial custody now.

The probe has revealed that parents had paid Mr. Roy and others including Mr. Bhatt and one Godhra-based Arif Vora, who all together made ₹2.82 crore.

The key accused is Mr. Bhatt, who was a teacher at Jay Jalaram School in Godhra. He was appointed as the deputy superintendent of the centre for NEET-UG 2024 in Godhra.

The police have recovered blank cheques with details of students scribbled on their back and contact details of parents. They have also found out about financial transactions done to the accounts of Mr. Roy from the parents.