Two get bail in NEET 2025 score manipulation case

Mumbai: A Mumbai court has granted bail to 2 accused arrested for allegedly trying to manipulate marks of the National Eligibility Entrance Test- NEET.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that For allegedly deceiving NEET 2025 aspirants and their families by claiming they could manipulate scores, and charging Rs 90 lakh per candidate, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) nabbed 2 individuals.

Sandeep Shah and Salim Patel, residents of Solapur and Navi Mumbai, respectively, allegedly hoodwinked candidates by posing as middlemen with access to non-existent officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

They allegedly demanded up to Rs 90 lakh per candidate, later reducing the amount to Rs 87.5 lakh during negotiations for ensuring ranks in the merit, the police said.

Now, as per PTI report, the two have been granted bail by a Mumbai court, which ruled that pending arrests of other accused cannot justify the denial of bail.

Sandeep Shah and Salim Patel were arrested on June 10 by the Central Bureau of Investigation for allegedly deceiving NEET UG 2025 aspirants and their families by claiming they could manipulate scores and charging Rs 90 lakh per candidate for this purpose.

In his order of June 21, details of which were made available on Monday, Special CBI Judge V P Desai noted the CBI had pleaded that the duo be denied bail as three others are yet to be arrested.

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The investigating officer has stated that one accused, Rajiv Sinha, may have fled the country, while two others are in Bihar and are untraceable, the court said.

“Even today the investigating officer has nothing concrete to show when the accused will be arrested. Merely because the other accused persons are yet to be arrested cannot be a ground for rejection of bail,” the court ruled.

Salim Patel, in his bail application moved through advocate Rakesh Singh, claimed there is no involvement of any government officer in this case and that it was registered on mere “hearsay news”.

“The applicant has no role to play in taking advantage of any government officer. In fact, the CBI is hunting for a ghost,” he said in the plea.

The accused claimed he was an education consultant helping aspirants get seats in medical colleges.

The case does not fall under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Prevention of Corruption Act provisions invoked, the plea contended.

Shah, represented by Sujit More, had sought bail on the grounds that the investigation was complete and his custodial interrogation was not required.

The case involves accusations of demanding and accepting undue advantage to influence officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

As per the CBI, Shah and Patel, residents of Solapur and Navi Mumbai, respectively, allegedly hoodwinked candidates by posing as middlemen with access to non-existent NTA officials.

Shah, in conspiracy with other accused, was contacting parents of NEET UG 2025 candidates, promising to manipulate their marks for monetary consideration, the CBI has said.

He was seeking Rs 90 lakh per candidate, with the amount being brought down to Rs 87.5 lakh after negotiations, the probe agency stated.

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