NEET solver gang busted in Bihar: 30 arrested including MBBS students, 9 attempted to appear as dummy candidates

Patna: After the paper leak controversy that led to the NEET UG 2026 re-examination being conducted on June 21, another major malpractice case has surfaced, with the Bihar police busting an alleged solver gang that attempted to enter some exam centres, leading to the arrest of 30 people, including MBBS students, biometric staff and other alleged accomplices.

The arrests were made in Bihar's Lakhisarai district after authorities received information that dummy candidates were appearing in the examination instead of genuine aspirants by using forged Aadhaar cards as ID cards during verification.

Among those arrested are nine alleged impersonators or "solvers." Police said these individuals were students from medical, nursing, dental and ayurvedic colleges located in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Delhi and Rajasthan.

The arrested persons also include an original NEET candidate from Nalanda and two MBBS students allegedly linked to the network. They have been reportedly identified as a fourth-year MBBS student at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMMCH), Gaya, and a fourth-year MBBS student at Bhagwan Mahavir Institute of Medical Sciences (BMIMS), Nalanda.

Also read- Nalanda police bust NEET 'solver gang', MBBS student among 3 arrested

Apart from the medical students, the Bihar police arrested 18 biometric staff members, including three supervisors and 15 operators from Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura and Nawada districts. One of the arrested biometric staff members is also a fourth-year MBBS student at Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH).

The case, which initially began with the detention of a handful of suspects during the examination, has since expanded into a wider investigation involving alleged "solvers", biometric operators and medical students accused of helping candidates cheat in the high-stakes medical entrance examination, said a report by PTI.

This comes at a time when the National Testing Agency (NTA) has repeatedly maintained that the June 21 re-test was conducted successfully and that the extensive security measures put in place were specifically designed to detect and prevent such attempts.

Lakhisarai Superintendent of Police (SP) Prerna Kumar told PTI that the individuals were suspected of appearing for the examination in place of actual candidates.

The police suspect that the student from the ANM Medical College is one of the alleged masterminds in the racket. He had previously been questioned by the CBI in connection with a paper leak case related to the 2024 NEET-PG examination.

Police sources told TOI that the investigation has revealed possible deals worth Rs 30 crore to Rs 40 crore, under which medical students allegedly agreed to appear in the examination on behalf of other candidates.

How the accused tried to enter

According to a statement issued by the Bihar Police Headquarters (PHQ), extensive arrangements had been put in place to ensure a fair examination. However, during the re-test, the police received inputs that fake or solver candidates were trying to appear at some centres instead of the original examinees.

Following verification by centre superintendents, static teams and flying squads, a special team led by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) conducted intensive checks at examination centres. The operation resulted in arrests from three centres, KRK College, Kendriya Vidyalaya and High School Hasanpur.

It has been reported that the racket involved the collusion of biometric verification staff, who allegedly allowed dummy candidates to enter examination centres using forged Aadhaar cards and fabricated documents.

Three separate cases, including one at Kiul and two at Kavaiya police station, have been registered in connection to the case. Further investigation is underway to trace the wider network and identify more beneficiaries.

Speaking about the alleged mastermind, ANMMCH principal Dr Lata Shukla Dwivedi said, "He had been under the scanner of investigating agencies for some time and could no longer be allowed to continue his medical studies if found involved in such serious malpractice. A meeting of the academic council has been called on Tuesday, where heads of different departments will discuss the matter and take a final decision regarding the student. An email message was sent on Monday on the available ID at the college office questioning the student, why he was absent without information, while all leaves had been cancelled."

NTA's reaction to the allegation

Reacting to the cheating cases reported during the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Abhishek Singh said that a few incidents had come to light from Bihar's Lakhisarai district, where some candidates allegedly attempted to engage in malpractice.

According to Singh, authorities detected cases in which students were trying to smuggle mobile phones into examination centres, while in some instances, individuals were allegedly attempting to appear for the examination by impersonating registered candidates.

"We do all levels of frisking and checking and CCTV surveillance and biometric authentication to check these malpractices. The purpose of all the security layers that we have is to ensure that nobody is able to do any malpractice...They will be caught," he told ANI.

The NEET-UG 2026 re-examination was conducted on June 21 after the original examination held on May 3 was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak. The decision to hold the re-test was to restore confidence in the country's largest medical entrance examination and ensure that deserving candidates received a fair opportunity.

Before the examination, the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) assured candidates and parents that extensive measures had been put in place to ensure a transparent and malpractice-free examination. These included multi-layer frisking at entry points, biometric authentication of candidates, CCTV surveillance at examination centres, deployment of static observers and flying squads, and strict monitoring of examination staff. The NTA had maintained that these safeguards would help detect any attempts at impersonation, cheating or use of unfair means, while ensuring that the integrity and credibility of the examination process remained intact.

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