₹87.5 Lakh NEET-UG 2025 Scam Busted by CBI; No NTA Involvement Found

The CBI confirmed that no involvement of officials from the National Testing Agency (NTA)—the body that conducts NEET—has been found so far in the case.

In a major crackdown on examination fraud, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two men from Maharashtra for allegedly orchestrating a high-stakes racket to manipulate scores in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2025.

The accused—Sandeep Shah of Solapur and Salim Patel of Navi Mumbai—were arrested earlier this week for offering to “fix” exam scores in exchange for ₹87.5 lakh per candidate.

The CBI confirmed that no involvement of officials from the National Testing Agency (NTA)—the body that conducts NEET—has been found so far in the case.

The Modus Operandi

According to the CBI’s investigation, Shah approached parents of NEET aspirants claiming he could get their children’s marks altered in the final results. Meetings were held in luxury hotels like the ITC Grand Central in Mumbai, where parents were shown sample documents and given verbal assurance that results would be “pre-shared” with them six hours before official declaration.

To seal the deal, Shah allegedly demanded ₹90 lakh from a parent but ultimately settled the amount at ₹87.5 lakh. Payments were reportedly made through both cash (₹32.5 lakh) and hawala (₹55 lakh) routes, exposing a sophisticated financial trail.

Forensic Evidence and Arrests

A digital forensic analysis of the accused's mobile phones revealed:

Extensive WhatsApp chats, nearly 1,600 pages in total

Lists of NEET aspirants with names, admit cards, and OMR details

Details of monetary transactions through hawala channels

Internal notes claiming “marks will be pre-informed before NTA result”

The duo was produced before a special CBI court, which granted extended custody till June 16 to enable investigators to confront them with the extensive digital evidence.

Mastermind and Network Under Probe

While Shah and Patel are believed to be the front-end operators, the CBI is on the lookout for a third accused—considered to be the mastermind—who may have connections in Pune or Navi Mumbai, possibly linked to educational consultancies.

Sources suggest that the racket may be part of a larger syndicate that has attempted to influence multiple high-stakes exams through manipulation of answer sheets, impersonation, or backend access to exam systems.

No NTA Link, But Worrying Trends

The CBI, in its preliminary report, emphasized that no link has been found between the accused and any NTA official or internal systems. The NTA has welcomed the investigation and reiterated its commitment to transparency and examination integrity.

However, this case adds to a growing list of frauds targeting competitive exams. In past years:

In 2020, a final-year AIIMS student was caught impersonating another NEET candidate for ₹60 lakh.

In 2024, rackets operating out of Godhra and Rajkot offered post-exam score manipulation and answer sheet filling.