NEET UG 2025: After 14-day custody order, accused move bail plea alleging false implication

NEW DELHI: A special court here on Monday remanded in 14-day judicial custody two men arrested for allegedly deceiving NEET UG 2025 aspirants and their families by claiming they could manipulate scores and charging Rs 90 lakh per candidate. Accused Sandeep Shah and Salim Patel later moved bail applications claiming they had been falsely implicated in the case.

Shah and Patel, arrested on June 10, were produced before special CBI judge V P Desai and remanded in judicial custody as the probe agency did not seek their further custody. Patel, in his bail application moved through advocate Rakesh Singh, claimed there is no involvement of any government officer in this case and that it was registered on mere "hearsay news".

"The applicant has no role to play in taking advantage of any government officer. In fact the CBI is hunting a ghost," the plea said. He claimed he was an education consultant who helps aspirants get seats in medical colleges. The entire story is concocted and eventually this case does not fall under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Prevention of Corruption Act sections invoked, his plea said. He sought bail on the ground that the entire case is based on "uncorroborated claims without any conclusive material evidence against him at this stage".

No evidence of direct involvement, says plea

The plea said mere allegations of conspiracy or association without actual recovery or tangible evidence cannot justify prolonged incarceration. Similar grounds were also raised by Shah in his plea. The court sought the response of the Central Bureau of Investigation. The matter will be next heard on June 21. The case involves accusations of demanding and accepting undue advantage to influence officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Shah and Patel, residents of Solapur and Navi Mumbai, respectively, allegedly hoodwinked candidates by posing as middlemen claiming access to non-existent NTA officials. The investigation agency has alleged Shah, in conspiracy with other accused, was contacting parents of NEET UG 2025 candidates and promising to manipulate marks for monetary consideration. The accused allegedly demanded Rs 90 lakh per candidate, later negotiating it down to Rs 87.5 lakh, the probe agency said.