Manipulation of marks suspected in NEET cases

One of them, Mohammed Irfan, a student of Dharmapuri Government Medical College who is absconding, manipulated his NEET score from a lowly 207 to 407 marks, said police sources. After getting caught in the police radar, Irfan dropped out of the college and moved to Mauritius, added sources. Police have detained Irfan’s father Mohammad Shafi, who is being grilled in connection with the case.

The authorities from the medical college have told the investigators that Irfan did not furnish the mark particulars for certificate verification, adding that he applied for medical leave from September 9 and left the hostel on September 8. CB-CID Superintendent Vijayakumar said all efforts were being taken to nab Irfan.

After the scam surfaced, police arrested Udit Surya, a student of Government Theni Medical College, and his father Dr VK Venkatesan for using an impersonator to write the test for him. Later, CB-CID also arrested two other medical students, Praveen and Rahul, along with their fathers. Another girl student Abirami and her father, who were secured on Friday by the investigators, were allowed to go home because of some delay in collecting certain forensic documents.

Unlike Udit Surya, the other four are suspected to have manipulated the NEET score to gain admission to medical colleges.

As part of the investigation, the police team has summoned the Dharmapuri Government Medical College dean Dr K Srinivasaraj to appear before the investigation officers in Theni on Tuesday.

Meanwhile on Monday, Udit Surya’s father Dr Venkatesan filed a plea in a local court in Theni on Monday seeking bail. In the petition, Venkatesan, an ENT surgeon and casualty medical officer at Government Stanley Medical College Hospital before being placed under suspension, cited health complication as the reason for seeking bail. He has been lodged in Madurai central prison since detention. Sources said the petition would be taken up for hearing on October 3.