In a shocking case of academic fraud, Ankita Bharti, a NEET-UG 2025 aspirant from Lakhisarai district in Bihar, has been arrested for presenting tampered documents during the first round of NEET 2025 counselling at AIIMS Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, authorities confirmed today.

What Happened

• During document verification at AIIMS Bilaspur, the authorities noticed discrepancies in the candidate’s credentials. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) could not locate her name among the official list of the top 100 selected candidates.

• When requested to show her NEET scorecard, the candidate presented a blurred, unreadable printout and a screenshot purporting to show an inflated rank (84 percentile with 590 marks).

• Upon cross-verification with the official NEET data, it was discovered that Bharti actually secured only 30 marks, ranking around 20 lakh, completely contradicting the altered documents.

Investigation & Confession

• Following these inconsistencies, AIIMS Bilaspur lodged a formal complaint and involved local law enforcement. Bharti was promptly taken into custody.

• During interrogation, the accused admitted to tampering with her provisional allotment letter and rank card. A case under Section 318 (4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)—related to cheating—has been registered.

Background Context

This incident is one of several high-profile NEET-UG scams to surface in 2025:

• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) uncovered a major racketeering operation in Maharashtra, where two men allegedly charged up to ₹90 lakh per candidate to manipulate scores via fake NTA connections; the price was later negotiated to ₹87.5 lakh. The accused were arrested in June and no involvement of NTA officials was found.

• In another case from Udupi (Karnataka), a student faked a top rank (AIR 107) by forging a scorecard—with real marks around 65 and rank beyond 17 lakh—triggering public and official scrutiny.

Broader Implications

These incidents together highlight rising concerns about the integrity of India’s premier medical entrance examination:

1. NEET System Under Threat – From forged documents to impersonations and racketeering, the system’s credibility faces serious challenges.

2. Need for Stringent Verification – The exposure of tampering through routine checks underscores the importance of robust verification at every counselling stage.

3. Legal and Ethical Repercussions – With cases being filed under BNS, Prevention of Corruption Act, and other relevant laws, offenders are likely to face severe legal consequences.

Summary Table

This latest arrest by AIIMS Bilaspur adds to a growing list of worrying trends in NEET-UG 2025 malpractice—implying an urgent need for oversight and reform in the counselling process to safeguard merit-based admissions.