Gujarat : CBI Intensifies Probe into NEET Scam in Godhra

Vadodara : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has escalated its investigation into the NEET fraud by conducting a camp in Godhra. A team of five CBI members arrived in Godhra early Monday morning to assume responsibility for the case from the Panchmahal police. The scam’s gravity has been could be gauged from the transfer of the investigation from local authorities to the CBI.

The collaboration with the CBI was confirmed by the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Panchmahal district. “The CBI team is receiving complete support from the Panchmahal police in its investigation.” The SP refused to provide any commentary on any potential connections between Godhra and other regions, such as Ranchi, Maharashtra, and Patna, stating that the process of handing over the case is ongoing.

On May 9, a team commanded by the district education officer (DEO) and additional district collectors discovered the NEET cheating racket. The DEO filed a complaint at the Godhra Taluka police station against Tushar Bhatt, a teacher at Jai Jalaram School in Parvadi village, Parshuram Roy, the proprietor of Roy Overseas, and Arif Vora in the wake of the discovery.

The police investigation disclosed that the fraud involved transactions valued at crores of rupees between the accused, 12 students, and their parents.

At least 16 of the 26 pupils involved were from faraway states such as Karnataka, Jharkhand, and Odisha. These students are suspected of entering into an agreement to pay ₹10 lakh each in order to pass the NEET exam. They had chosen Jai Jalaram School in Parvadi village as their exam center.

Four of the 12 pupils who were directly affected deposited ₹66 lakh into the bank account of Roy Overseas, which is managed by Parshuram Roy. In addition, Tushar Bhatt and Parshuram Roy were issued cheques totaling ₹2.82 crore. The investigation also revealed that three students provided Bhatt and Roy with bogus cheques, suggesting that there were substantial monetary transactions that were conducted to facilitate cheating in the NEET exam.

The Dahod District Congress committee has protested in response to the scandal, which has elicited public outrage. Demonstrators obstructed roads and staged a protest outside the district collector’s office on Monday, calling for accountability from Gujarat Education Minister Kuber Dindor. The protests included an attempt to torch an effigy of the minister, which highlighted profound dissatisfaction with the management of the NEET scam.