A massive examination fraud linked to Re-NEET 2026 has come to light in Bihar, exposing a well-organised network that manipulated biometric verification systems to allow proxy candidates to appear in place of genuine aspirants. So far, police have arrested 30 people, including medical students, fake candidates, middlemen, candidates, and 18 biometric staff members. Following the seriousness of the case, three FIRs related to the scam have been handed over to Bihar’s Economic Offences Unit (EOU) for further investigation.
According to investigators, the National Testing Agency (NTA) had awarded the contract for biometric attendance and verification during the Re-NEET examination to a company called IndeSciIL. The company subsequently outsourced the work to Innovative View. During the investigation, police discovered that Innovative View had already been blacklisted by the governments of Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu in 2025 and by the Uttar Pradesh government in 2022.
Authorities are now examining how a blacklisted firm became involved in such a crucial examination process and whether similar irregularities may have occurred elsewhere.
The probe revealed that a PMCH (Patna Medical College and Hospital) student initially identified himself as Mayank Kashyap after his arrest. However, police later established that his real name was Ashwini Kumar. Investigators allege that Ashwini entered the examination centre posing as a biometric employee and helped facilitate the operation from inside. He is a third-year MBBS student from PMCH’s 2022 batch and belongs to Hajipur.
Police also found that he had acquired a SIM card using the name Mayank Kashyap. Another prominent name that emerged during the investigation was Poonam Kumari, who topped the Jharkhand Class 12 board examination in 2021. A resident of Giridih who studied in Ranchi, she is accused of acting as a solver in the racket.
Police believe the fraud was executed through a carefully planned biometric manipulation strategy. After admit cards were issued on June 14, members of the gang allegedly established contacts with supervisors working for the biometric company.
Investigators suspect that genuine candidates’ biometric data was collected from a vehicle parked around 100 to 150 metres away from examination centres. This allowed proxy candidates to enter the centres and appear for the exam while avoiding biometric detection through altered fingerprint verification methods.
The scam began to unravel after an anonymous email was sent around noon on Sunday to Bihar Police Headquarters and NTA officials. The message contained detailed information regarding suspicious activities involving candidates and medical students. Based on the alert, officials informed authorities in Lakhisarai, prompting a police operation that eventually led to several arrests, including that of Poonam Kumari. Subsequent interrogations reportedly exposed the involvement of supervisors and biometric personnel.
Investigators have also uncovered evidence suggesting that one candidate’s admission was arranged through a deal worth ₹60 lakh. Police sources claim that Ashwini Kumar’s share in the arrangement was expected to be around ₹25 lakh. Two FIRs have already been registered, and efforts are underway to identify other members of the network and determine the full scale of the operation.
The investigation has identified several instances in which medical students appeared as proxy candidates for others. In one case, Mantosh Kumar appeared in place of Manish Kumar. Mantosh is reportedly a fourth-year student at SVS Medical College and the son of Shambhu Yadav from Madhepura.
Vivek Kumar, a fourth-year student at ANMMCH, Gaya, appeared for Prabhat Anand.
Himanshu Kumar, a first-year MBBS student at Government Medical College, Satna, is accused of appearing for Shubham Verma.
Saurabh Jha, a fourth-year MBBS student at AIIMS Raebareli, allegedly appeared in place of Isha Kumari.
Poonam Kumari allegedly appeared for Mridul Raj.
Aman Agrawal, a medical intern at University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), Shahdara, is accused of appearing for Akbal Dev.
Rajesh Kumar, an intern at LNMCH, allegedly appeared for Niranjan.
Chanchal Kumari, a BAMS student at a government Ayurvedic college in Odisha, appeared in place of Nandini Raj.
Jitendra Kumar of NMCH, Patna, allegedly appeared for Rahul Kumar.
One of the most significant findings concerns Ashwini Kumar’s attendance records. Investigators found that while he was present at the examination centre in Lakhisarai, his attendance was simultaneously marked in the Surgery Department of PMCH. This has raised suspicions that someone within the institution may have helped register his attendance. PMCH authorities have launched an internal inquiry into the matter.
The investigation has also revealed personal details about some of the accused. Police searched the homes of Vivek Kumar and Arpit Singh in Muzaffarpur. Residents claimed that Vivek’s father, Yogendra Chaudhary, serves as a CRPF Head Constable and that Vivek changed his phone number after joining medical college.
Another accused, 18-year-old biometric worker Sudarshan from Sheikhpura, comes from a financially struggling family. His father died five months ago, and his elder brother works as a labourer. Family members insist that he is innocent and had merely gone to work after being contacted by friends.
Several biometric workers, including Vishal, Ankit, Mohit, and Rakesh, were reportedly working on daily wages of around ₹400. Family members said they accepted the assignment as temporary work and had no idea it would lead to criminal charges. In another case, Himanshu Kumar’s family from Jolhania village in Supaul said they had sold land to fund his medical education at Government Medical College, Satna, and were shocked by news of his arrest.
The investigation has also expanded to other medical institutions. At Pawapuri Medical College, the names of 2022-batch students Ranjit and Ravishankar have surfaced during the probe. The college principal stated that six students from the same batch had previously been jailed in connection with earlier controversies.
Meanwhile, an Intelligence Bureau team visited ANMMCH, Gaya, and seized documents related to fourth-year students Arpit Singh and Vivek Kumar. Principal Dr. Lata Shukla confirmed that the process of expelling Arpit Singh has already begun.
With 30 arrests made so far, investigators believe the scam may have involved a wider network operating across multiple states. Authorities are now focusing on the role of the biometric contractors, supervisors, medical students, and middlemen while examining whether similar manipulation techniques were used in other competitive examinations across the country.
Also Read: Just A Day After NEET Re-Exam, Bihar Police Bust Paper-Solver Gang; 24 Arrested https://www.vibesofindia.com/neet-re-exam-bihar-paper-solving-gang-24-arrested/
