Mumbai- A 2nd-year MBBS student has been booked for posing as another student during the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET UG) 2024 exam. The student was caught after the biometrics did not match with the original student's Aadhaar card.
After being exposed, the student was booked by the CBD Belapur police on the very day of the examination.
During the investigation, police found out that the 20-year-old girl was a second-year medical student pursuing an MBBS course from a medical college in Rajasthan.
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The incident took place at DY Patil College in CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai which was one of the centres for the NEET UG 2024 exam. The NEET UG 2024 exam was conducted on Sunday, May 5, 2024, from 2 pm to 5 pm, therefore before the exam began after the college conducted frisking and biometric testing of the students. During the testing, one of the student’s biometrics and the adhaar card were found mismatched.
Then, the supervisor informed college administrator Dr Debjani Dasgupta about the mismatch. In a bid to prevent chaos, the administrator ordered the supervisor to allow the student to appear in the examination and also to keep a watch on the student during the exam.
After the exam was over, the student was asked to check the biometrics once again but still it was mismatched. After this, the administrator informed the police about the incident and then the police reached the college for investigation. Police then registered a case under sections of the IPC and the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices Act, University, Board and Other Specified Examinations Act, 1982.
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Speaking to the HT, a police officer from CBD Belapur police station said “When confronted, the dummy student confessed, revealing that her father had lost his job, and they were in desperate need of money, which led her to agree to participate in the deception. We are investigating further to find the money involved in the deal and if she has done this before. Presently, the case is registered against the student who posed as the dummy. However, we intend to pursue charges against the original student as well”.
Meanwhile, the dummy student has been served a notice as per CrPC.
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