AIIMS Jodhpur 'MBBS' student appeared as proxy in NEET at Bihar centre, allowed to leave after written apology

Patna: In a shocking revelation in the NEET paper leak controversy, a 3rd-year MBBS student of AIIMS Jodhpur who was paid to be a proxy for a NEET-UG examinee got caught during biometric attendance at a centre in Bihar's Muzaffarpur minutes before the May 5 test, but was allegedly allowed to go after submitting a written apology to the authorities.

According to a recent TOI report, new findings in the NEET case revealed that a third-year student from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Jodhpur was caught during biometric attendance at the examination centre in DAV School, Malighat, Bihar, minutes before the NEET-UG test on May 5 for allegedly appearing in place of a NEET aspirant. The examinee's admit card featured a picture of the third-year MBBS student.

As per the TOI news report, the student confessed to impersonating the son of Dr. Pandey who owns a hospital in UP's Prayagraj in exchange for Rs 4 lakh but was allegedly allowed to leave after submitting a written apology to the authorities.

In his apology letter, the accused student said "I come from a poor family. I was promised Rs 4 lakh, which is why I agreed to write the exam on someone else's behalf." Further, he said that he met Dr Pandey, who allegedly wanted a proxy for his son, in Kota, Rajasthan.

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The accused student who went to the examination centre as a proxy for the said doctor's son carried an admit card that featured the NEET aspirant's picture. Meanwhile, since the incident, the accused AIIMS student has been absent from college.

The incident came to light when station house officer (SHO) Ram Krishna Paramhans Kumar received this information from an undisclosed source and registered an FIR at Mithanpura police station in Muzaffarpur accordingly on the same day. Both the student and Dr Pandey have been named in the FIR.

As per the daily, the breach at the examination centre in DAV School, Malighat, was never officially reported to the police and the authorities only made the accused student write an apology letter. 

Police quoted an official of the exam centre as saying that the young man had been asked to wait outside after he wrote an apology while the authorities decided what to do next. He allegedly sneaked out and couldn't be traced.

ASP Awadhesh Dixit of Muzaffarpur told TOI, "The centre was under the scanner for not reporting the crime immediately. The school management was apparently reluctant to pursue the case, fearing damage to the centre's reputation." 

"Separate teams have been sent to Prayagraj, Barmer and Jodhpur to locate the accused. Neither of them was found at their respective homes or workplaces. The student who allegedly took money to act as a proxy for an examinee hasn't attended classes at AIIMS-Jodhpur since May 2," said SHO Paramhans Kumar.

Also read- Medical Student Found Running Proxy Practice For Doctor, Both Arrested