A gang that allegedly demanded money from NEET-UG aspirants to ‘facilitate’ them to pass the exam has been busted by the Noida unit of Special Task Force (STF), the police said on Sunday. Three people were arrested in the case, they said.
The accused have been identified as Vikram Kumar Sahu, 30, Dharmpal Singh and Aniket, all residents of Delhi.
"Noida STF unit has busted a gang involved in cheating students on the pretext of helping them clear the NEET-UG exam. They demanded money from the aspirants' relatives or family members,” Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), STF, Noida, Raj Kumar Mishra said.
During questioning, Sahu informed the police that he was admitted to the Biotechnology program at Vinayaka Mission University in Chennai in 2011.
"Vikram and Aniket were helping students secure admissions at Vinayaka Mission University in exchange for a 30 per cent commission. After completing his post-graduation from the university, Vikram moved to Delhi, where he met Dharampal Singh," the officer added.
Accused registered a company named ‘Admission View’
The accused had set up a company called 'Admission View' and collected data of MBBS aspirants, using it to contact them with false promises of securing college admissions.
According to the police, they demanded Rs 5 lakh from each candidate on the pretext of arranging a seat and then absconded with the money. After several complaints were filed against them in 2023, they reportedly established a new firm named Shreyanvi EDU OPC Pvt Ltd and continued carrying out similar fraudulent activities.
Collected candidates' data as NEET exam approached
As the NEET-UG exam neared, the accused once again gathered data of candidates and contacted them, demanding money with false assurances of helping them clear the exam. Acting on a tip-off about the fraudulent activity, the police arrested the accused on Saturday. A case was registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The STF seized several items during the operation, including 10 mobile phones, two Aadhaar cards, candidate data sheets, PAN cards, a cheque book, voter ID cards, a passport, and a car, among other materials.
(With PTI inputs)