NEET Racket in Vadodara: Kingpin obtained data of 20 lakh medical aspirants

Vadodara: Cybercrime detectives, who were in charge of investigating the medical seat racket, have revealed that the kingpin had access to the data of around 20 lakh students who appeared in the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in the last couple of years.

The accused Prem Prakash Vidhyarthi had reportedly obtained the data from a Delhi based private agency, adds TOI.

Referring to the matter, the ACP Cybercrime, Hardik Makadia described it to be a matter of concern and informed that the accused had the NEET score records, marks of Class 12 of aspirants along with their contact number.

The accused along with his gang had made the NEET candidates who had secured low marks as their targets. They used to make call those students who secured low marks in NEET or who were aspiring to get admitted to medical colleges. In the phone call, the kingpin of the gang used to offer medical seats to the students in reputed medical colleges for a high fee.

Also Read: Mass Rigging in NEET 2022: CBI busts racket, 8 held

Describing the process of the gang's operation, ACP Makadia informed the Times of India, “Vidhyarthi rented offices in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and also made websites of two popular medical colleges. Those showing interest in paying lakhs to get a medical seat for their child were shown the website or invited to the office. Once the parents paid the fees, the gang used to shut the offices as well as the websites and disappear.”

Addressing the fact that the accused kingpin of the gang had access to the data of about 20 lakh NEET candidates, Makadia added, "It is a matter of concern. He was planning a big scam. A scamster had amassed NEET score records, Class 12 marks and contact numbers of nearly 20 lakh students aspiring to get medical seats. Vidhyarthi spent a lot of money in sourcing this data which is private and confidential."

"During his interrogation, Vidhyarthi said that he had sourced the data from an agency in Delhi that in turn got it from a Pune agency. We are now inquiring about these agencies and how they got hold of the students' data. The data was leaked and it is a clear breach of privacy," he added.

The daily adds that the cybercrime detectives arrested another accused Anand Tiwari on Sunday. He allegedly helped Vidhyarthi scouting for students and also to lease properties. More than 10 cases of cheating have been registered against Vidhyarthi in UP and Delhi.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that Gautam Buddh Nagar police had arrested three people in connection with an MBBS seat fraud in which the fraudsters had cheated several students of crores of rupees with the promise of helping them get admitted to reputed government medical colleges.

Those fraudsters had set up a call centre in Sector 63 by the name, 'career junction,' from where they got in touch with aspiring medical students through calls and messages. They obtained the data of these students and contacted them via the internet, messages or calls. After calling them for counseling, the accused offered them admission and charged around Rs 15 to 30 lakh per student, said the police officers.

Also Read: Noida MBBS Admission Racket: 3 people arrested for duping over 50 MBBS aspirants