'Munna Bhai' again: CBI books two medical students for fraud in NEET-UG 2023

NEW DELHI: In a case of real life drawing inspiration from celluloid, a medical student allegedly appeared as a proxy for a candidate in the NEET-UG 2023 exam, resulting in the latter's admission to the MBBS course, à la "Munnabhai MBBS". Officials on Monday said the CBI has booked Vikash, a resident of Rajasthan's Jalore district, who allegedly appeared for Praveen Godara of Jodhpur in the NEET-UG held on May 7, 2023, at the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Sector 12, Dwarka, here.

Godara has also been named as an accused in the FIR. Vikash, who was in the second year of his MBBS course at Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Medical College in Sirohi, allegedly mimicked Godara's signature and handwriting on the NEET-UG 2023 attendance and answer sheets, the officials said. He allegedly went on to qualify for the examination as a proxy, securing a seat for Godara in the MBBS course at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences in Uttar Pradesh's Noida.

Booked for exam impersonation

"It has also been ascertained that both are presently pursuing the MBBS course at their respective medical colleges," an official said. The federal probe agency has booked them under Indian Penal Code sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 419 (cheating by impersonation), and 467 (forgery), among others, and corresponding Sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the FIR stated. NEET-UG is conducted by the National Testing Agency for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions in which millions of students appear.