CBI takes over Godhra NEET probe, likely to seek custody of five accused

In addition to Gujarat, the CBI was handed over the investigation of similar cases in Rajasthan and Bihar, too.

On Monday. the Panchmahal district police handed over the 1,000-page inquiry report of the investigation conducted so far to the CBI team. In addition, the evidence collected by the district police, including Digital Video Recordings of alleged meetings between the accused a day before the examination, advance cheques amounting to Rs 2.3 crore paid by students as well as other evidences, including the panchnama of Rs 7 lakh allegedly seized from the vehicle of one of the accused during a raid conducted by the District Education Department on May 5 were also handed over.

Those in custody include prime accused Tushar Bhatt, who was the superintendent of the NEET centre at the school, school principal Purshottam Sharma, education consultant Vibor Anand, Vadodara-based immigration agency owner Parshuram Roy and a local resident Arif Vohra.

Based on a complaint filed by Panchmahal District Education Officer Kiritkumar Patel, an FIR was lodged on May 8 at the Godhra taluka police station against Bhatt, Roy and Vora for alleged criminal conspiracy to help at least 26 students clear the NEET exam “with meritorious rank using malpractice”. Anand and Sharma were added as accused later.

According to the FIR, the attempted malpractice was “foiled” on May 5 during a raid at the NEET centre by an inspection squad of the education department. The raid was conducted following an input received by the Panchmahal collector. According to the FIR, it had been decided that the students would appear for the exam and allegedly “only attempt the questions, which they could solve” while leaving the “rest of the answerbook blank to be filled up by the agents after the exam when the answer book is submitted to the exam supervisor”.

The accused have been booked under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 420 (cheating and dishonestly) and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.