NEET MBBS admission scam: Dehradun police arrest three, CSCs under radar

In short

Dehradun police’s SIT arrested three accused, including the alleged mastermind, in the NEET-MBBS admission scam on 22 September 2026.
A fake Aadhaar card in the name of deceased freedom fighter Dharamveer Verma was obtained from a Common Service Centre (CSC) and used to secure a fake freedom fighter certificate.
SSP Pramendra Dobal has sought data on all CSCs in the district to investigate their involvement in criminal activities.
Four students secured MBBS admissions using fake certificates claiming to be heirs of freedom fighter Dharmveer, with FIRs registered against five individuals on 3 September 2026.
The Delhi Police Crime Branch rescued 18 students lured into a fake medical admission racket promising guaranteed MBBS seats for Rs 25-30 lakh per candidate.

Dehradun police’s special investigation team (SIT) has arrested three accused, including the alleged mastermind, in connection with a NEET-MBBS admission scam. The investigation, which led to the first arrests on 22 September 2026, has revealed the use of fake freedom fighter-dependant certificates to secure MBBS and BDS admissions under the state quota.

The scam has brought Common Service Centres (CSCs) under renewed police scrutiny, after a fake Aadhaar card, instrumental in obtaining a forged freedom fighter certificate, was traced back to one such centre. SSP Pramendra Dobal has requested data on all CSCs operating in the district to probe their potential involvement in criminal activities.

Investigation into Fake Certificates and CSCs

The SIT’s probe into the NEET UG fake certificate scam led to the arrests of Rupesh Pandit, identified as a gang leader, and Arvind Kumar on 22 September 2026. Rupesh Pandit, who owns a major institute in Meerut preparing students for competitive examinations, allegedly prepared forged certificates used both in India and abroad. The deal for these fake certificates was reportedly struck for Rs 45 lakhs, with Rs 20 lakhs paid in advance by three individuals.

Arvind Kumar admitted to paying Rs 20 lakhs for a forged certificate for his daughter. Police recovered Rs eight lakh from Rupesh Pandit’s house in Meerut. Then, Dheeraj Srivastav, an associate of Rupesh Pandit who runs an office named ‘MBBS Way’ in Sector 46, Bhopal, was arrested, and Rs 5.58 lakh was recovered from him. The SIT is currently examining e-district centres and CSC centres for their role in the racket.

A police officer privy to the SIT investigation, requesting anonymity, stated that CSCs have been under police radar previously for issuing fake Aadhaar cards to Bangladeshi citizens in Dehradun without valid travel documents. Over 10 such Bangladeshi citizens were arrested and later deported by central authorities. In previous cases, fake Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and other government IDs issued by CSCs based on forged documents were recovered. SSP Pramendra Dobal confirmed that the fake Aadhaar card in the name of deceased freedom fighter Dharamveer Verma, obtained from a CSC, was then used to acquire a fake freedom fighter certificate from a local administration office. The probe will also include details of CSC operators and their past criminal records, with appropriate legal action promised against those found involved.

Scope of the Scam and Arrests

The investigation revealed that four students secured MBBS admissions using fake certificates claiming to be heirs of freedom fighter Dharmveer. FIRs were registered on 3 September 2026 at Raipur police station and Clement Town police station against five accused: Khushi, Pari, Swati, Tripti, and Uma Devi (Tripti’s mother). The scam involves candidates using fake dependant certificates of deceased or unrelated freedom fighters to claim reserved MBBS and BDS seats under the state quota during NEET UG counselling. Records showed multiple candidates used the name of the same freedom fighter to falsely claim to be his descendants, while the genuine family had never sought such benefits. Some forged certificates even carried AI-generated photographs.

Whistle-blowers and journalists had submitted documents to Health Minister Subodh Uniyal, flagging over 350 suspicious domicile and reserved category certificates. The investigation has since widened beyond freedom fighter dependent certificates to include all categories of domicile and reservation certificates. A list of 370 suspect domicile certificates was recently submitted to the Health Minister.

NEET Impersonation and Admission Rackets

The Madras high court was informed on Thursday, 22 September 2026, by the National Testing Agency (NTA) that thumb impressions of 4,250 students admitted to medical courses in Tamil Nadu this year were sent to the Crime-Branch CID (CB-CID). This action followed a directive on 16 October 2025, for the NTA to send all details, including thumb impressions, to the CB-CID. The court also directed the CB-CID to visit deemed universities with the forensic department to obtain thumb impressions, with the process video graphed. The director of the Finger Print Bureau was impleaded to provide expert manpower for comparing thumb impressions.

The NEET impersonation scam initially came to light in September 2025 when suspicion was raised over K.V. Udit Surya, a student of Theni Medical College. A proxy candidate allegedly appeared for NEET instead of Udit Surya, leading to the arrest of Udit Surya, his father (a doctor), and a Kerala-based agent on charges of impersonation. The Madras high court observed that the impersonation fraud might not be confined to Tamil Nadu and could be widespread across the country.

In a separate but related development, the Delhi Police Crime Branch rescued 18 students, including minors, who were allegedly lured into a fake medical admission racket. This racket promised guaranteed MBBS seats for approximately Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh per candidate. Four accused were arrested in the Delhi racket, including a doctor who studied in Kyrgyzstan and the alleged mastermind from East of Kailash, Delhi. The accused allegedly struck deals ranging between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 30 lakh per candidate, collecting cash, original academic documents, and blank signed cheques. Police recovered 149 pages of fabricated question-answer material and blank signed cheques from the Delhi racket. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Crime Branch police station in Delhi. This operation came to light after inputs from Surat Police.