NEET-UG irregularities: CBI registers fresh case, books medical student caught taking test for aspirant

NEW DELHI: The CBI has registered a fresh case in connection with alleged irregularities in the conduct of NEET-UG, booking a woman medical student caught taking the test for an aspirant in Navi Mumbai, officials said on Saturday. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the investigation from the Maharashtra Police on the state government's recommendation.

Nishika Premprakash Yadav, a second-year medical student, allegedly appeared at the DY Patil (deemed to be) University centre in Navi Mumbai on May 5 on behalf of one Mayuri Manohar Patil, the officials said.

Yadav was caught after an alert was issued by the National Testing Agency, which conducted the examination for admissions to undergraduate medical courses. The alert termed Patil to be a "suspicious" candidate following which Yadav, who had posed as the aspirant, was asked to provide her biometric data to be matched with her Aadhaar, the officials said.

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Yadav's fingerprints did not match and she admitted that she was a second-year medical student at Jawahar Medical College, they said. The police registered an FIR against her on a complaint from the DY Patil (deemed to be) University authorities that has now been re-registered as a CBI case, they added.