Patna, June 22: Bihar police cracked down on a racket of impersonators during the NEET-UG examination 2026 after cases of cheating and alleged manipulation of biometric verification procedures surfaced at multiple examination centres in different districts.

A total of 30 people have been arrested during checks, including the ones who doubled up ‘imposters’ and appeared at exam centres, in place of genuine candidates, in brazen violation of laid down rules and guidelines.

Police sources said that a student of Pawapuri Medical College in Rajgir was the alleged mastermind of the racket. According to investigators, the suspect organized a network involving medical students from different institutions who were recruited to take the examination on behalf of candidates.

The gang reportedly targeted aspirants seeking medical admissions and allegedly negotiated deals ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh per candidate.

Investigators claimed that the gang manipulated the biometric verification process at multiple examination centres.

According to preliminary findings, individuals associated with biometric verification were allegedly in cahoots, to facilitate impostors enter the examination centres.

Police are investigating the exact manner in which the biometric procedures were bypassed.

Police state that all nine alleged “solvers” arrested in the case are medical students. The 30 arrested individuals reportedly include medical students acting as solvers, personnel associated with the biometric agency, and other members of the alleged racket. Several additional suspects are currently being questioned.

Lakhisarai SDPO Shivam Kumar stated that preliminary investigations indicate that monetary deals worth Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh were made for each candidate.

An advance payment of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh was allegedly collected, and the remaining amount was to be paid after examination results and admission.

Police are examining bank accounts, mobile phone records, and digital transactions to trace the money trail.

The process of registering an FIR was initiated on the basis of a complaint filed by Dinesh Kumar Bhagat, Acting Principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Lakhisarai, who was serving as the city coordinator for the examination.

Police officials have stated that the investigation is being expanded and that the role of every individual connected to the alleged racket is being examined.

Authorities believe that further interrogation of the accused could reveal additional members of the network, financial transactions, and possible links to other examination centres.

Gorakhpur, June 22: A shocking incident has emerged from Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district, where a 16-year-old boy allegedly murdered his elder brother, sister-in-law, and three-year-old nephew with a sharp-edged weapon. The gruesome crime reportedly took place around 3 A.M. in the wee hours of Monday.

Upon receiving information about the incident, police teams rushed to the spot and launched an investigation. The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination, while the accused was taken into custody. Senior police officials, including the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and Superintendent of Police (South), visited the crime scene and conducted an inspection.

According to the police, preliminary investigations suggest that the murders were the result of a family dispute. The deceased have been identified as Amit Gupta, his wife Ranjana Gupta, and their son Reyan Gupta.

The Bansgaon police have registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by Amit Gupta’s father and have initiated legal proceedings against the accused. Police have also recovered the weapon allegedly used in the crime.

SP (South) Dinesh Puri said that police received information about the triple murder at around 3 A.M. Following the alert, local police personnel and senior officers reached the scene, and a forensic team was called in to collect evidence.

During the investigation, it was found that Amit Gupta, his wife Ranjana, and their son Reyan were sleeping in the same room when the accused allegedly attacked them with a sharp-edged weapon, leading to their deaths.

The officer said the complaint was lodged by the deceased’s father, after which the bodies were taken into custody and sent for post-mortem examination. The accused has been detained and is currently being questioned by the police.

Authorities believe that a family dispute may have triggered the crime, although the exact motive behind the killings is yet to be established. The incident has sent shockwaves through the locality, leaving residents stunned and creating an atmosphere of grief and fear in the area.

Police said further investigation is underway, and additional details are expected to emerge after questioning the accused and examining forensic evidence.

Hyderabad, June 22: In a shocking incident Hyderabad police apprehended an 18-year-old candidate appearing for the NEET re-test as he was caught allegedly using a mobile phone concealed inside a washroom flush tank at the exam centre to cheat.

The incident occurred on Sunday during the NEET re-examination at a government school in Ragannaguda under the Adibatla Police Station limits.

The candidate, a resident of Achampet, was apprehended at the examination centre located at ZPHS, Ragannaguda.

Police said he had allegedly planned the malpractice in advance by hiding the mobile phone inside the school premises before the examination began.

As per his plan to commit cheating, the student came to the school around 7 A.M. and placed a mobile phone in the washroom ventilator. He managed to access the washroom ventilator as it was adjoining the school compound wall. At 11 A.M., he entered the washroom and concealed the phone in a zip-lock cover before hiding it in a flush tank.

Although police security teams had thoroughly inspected the premises twice, once at 6 A.M. and again at 11 A.M., and conducted strict frisking of all candidates at the entrance, the phone hidden inside the flush tank remained undetected during the initial checks.

During the examination, the accused complained of stomach pain and requested to use the restroom. The washroom, which serves as the only common facility for the entire centre, is situated far away from the school building.

After the invigilator found that the student had spent an unusually long time in the toilet, he sent a few staff members to check about his availability. The accused was caught red-handed inside the washroom actively searching for answers on his mobile phone, police said.

Upon being alerted, the police team immediately seized the mobile phone used in the crime. A thorough inspection of the device revealed that he was using Google Chrome to search for answers, with no other active applications of concern besides Instagram. The accused confessed to the act during interrogation and is currently in police custody.

Following a formal complaint by the school administration, the police have registered a case under Section 318(4) BNS and section 10 r/w 3 Public Examinations ( Prevention of Unfair Means) Act -2024.