AHMEDABAD: Two years after the NEET-UG malpractice scandal at a Godhra examination centre exposed how organised networks allegedly manipulated answersheets, fraudsters continue to market similar services to medical aspirants and their families, claiming access to examination centres across multiple states.An investigation by TOI found that individuals posing as education consultants are allegedly offering to help candidates secure admissions through fraudulent means, including directing them towards examination centres described as “manageable” or “vulnerable” to manipulation.A caller linked to an institute chain operating in several states, including Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Tamil Nadu, claimed that his network begins engaging with candidates months before the examination.
“We start counselling parents and students as soon as the application process begins,” the caller told this reporter, who posed as the parent of a NEET aspirant. According to him, the counselling process includes advising candidates on selecting centres where the network allegedly has influence.The caller claimed that stricter examination norms have led the network to generate fresh residential documents for students, so that they appear eligible for centres located in areas where the group allegedly has operational control.“Like in Godhra, it is still happening at some centres in Gujarat and elsewhere in the country. Golmuri is emerging as a preferred choice,” he said, referring to a locality in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, which has seen a rapid rise in coaching institutes in recent years. Police in Jharkhand have also identified the region as a growing hub for cyber fraud activities.The caller further alleged that arrangements are made at selected centres after application forms are submitted. “Our people fill the OMR sheets for students. If that is not possible due to some issue, we update the result later,” he claimed.For these alleged services, the network demanded between Rs 75 lakh and Rs 1 crore per candidate. The caller said further payment details would be shared after receiving the student’s documents.
