A doctor and several unnamed officials from the National Testing Agency (NTA) have been arrested by the CBI in connection with the NEET-UG 2025 marks manipulation scandal. According to a media report, the doctor, identified as Dr. Sandeep Jawahar Shah from Solapur, Maharashtra, was allegedly part of a racket that altered exam scores for unqualified candidates in exchange for large sums of money.
According to officials, the CBI conducted a sting operation on June 9, 2025, which uncovered the conspiracy and confirmed the role of those involved in tampering with NEET-UG results.
Dr. Sandeep Shah was caught red-handed during a CBI verification operation at Mumbai’s ITC Grand Central hotel in Parel. Officers posing as parents approached him, during which he allegedly settled on a bribe of ₹87.5 lakh after negotiations. Two independent witnesses were present during the sting. Shah is reportedly a partner in a firm called Indi Biosearch and was allegedly running a parallel operation involving academic fraud.
Investigations revealed that Shah had established contacts with officials from the National Testing Agency (NTA). He allegedly promised to manipulate NEET-UG scores of unqualified students, offering them admission into government medical colleges for ₹90 lakh. The payment was to be split into two instalments, with the inflated scores guaranteed six hours before the official result declaration.
This revelation comes close on the heels of last year’s NEET-UG 2024 controversy, which faced multiple allegations, including paper leaks and an unusually high number of perfect scores.
The Supreme Court had earlier ordered a retest for 1,563 students, which led to a dramatic drop in NEET toppers — from 67 to just 17. The Ministry of Education faced intense public criticism following the controversy and had assured tighter safeguards and greater transparency going forward.
However, in a recent press release, the CBI made a strong distinction between the two years, stating, “While last year’s irregularities were painted as procedural mishaps or technical lapses, the 2025 case suggests active collusion and criminal intent. The involvement of NTA insiders, if proven, could force a serious re-evaluation of the autonomous testing agency’s integrity.”
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