“Small fish being caught and big crocodiles being released…”: Gujarat Pradesh Congress President Accuses Government of Cover-Up in NEET paper leak issue

Gujarat Pradesh Congress President Shaktisinh Gohil on Saturday revealed an affidavit filed by the Deputy Superintendent of Police at the Sessions Court in Godhra that exposes an alleged scandal involving the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). The affidavit alleges a coordinated effort to manipulate the examination process in exchange for money. “Why are only small fish being caught and big crocodiles being released in the investigation of NEET paper leak?” asked Gohil, questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alleged silence on the NEET issue.

“I have in my hand an affidavit of the Deputy Superintendent of Police, which has been filed in the Sessions Court, Godhra. It is said that students from many states, including Maharashtra, Odisha and Bihar, had come to Godhra to take the exam because they had already made arrangements here. Money and blank cheques were taken from those students in advance,” said Gohil at a press conference at the Congress headquarters in Delhi. He further stated that the students were instructed to list 'Jai Jalaram School' as their examination center while filling out their NEET applications. "The setting was that when the students get admission, money will be filled in blank cheque,” he added.

The affidavit presented by the Pradesh Congress President of Gujarat names Tushar Bhatt, a teacher at Jai Jalaram School and deputy center superintendent for NEET as the primary accused. Purushottam Mahavir Prasad, city coordinator for NEET and principal of Jai Jalaram School, is also implicated for allegedly tampering with exam papers after the conclusion of the test. “Three more people have been arrested in this case, including Parshuram, Vinod Anand and Arif Vahora. Their job was to take money from the families of the students. Arif Vahora is the Vice President of the Minority Department of BJP,” said Gohil stating that affidavit alleges their involvement in the financial transactions related to the scam.

Upon presenting the affidavit, Shaktisinh Gohil raised queries that questioned the Prime Minister’s alleged silence on Twitter over the NEET Row. He also questioned as to why the government lied to the Supreme Court despite knowing everything. “Even after all the evidence was revealed in the police investigation, why did the Education Minister say that there was no fraud in NEET. Why is Narendra Modi and his Twitter silent on the NEET issue? Why were those schools which indulge in malpractices all the time given NEET centres? Why are only small fish being caught and big crocodiles being released in the investigation of NEET paper leak? Why has the chairman of Jai Jalaram School not been arrested yet? How many centres were given to Jai Jalaram School? How much money has Jai Jalaram School given to the BJP fund?” asked Gohil.

The 2024 NEET UG exams, held on May 5 by the National Testing Agency, sparked widespread student protests after results were released on June 4. Issues such as marking inconsistencies and allegations of paper leaks emerged, leading to controversy. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched a comprehensive probe into the matter. In response to the controversy, the NEET PG exams slated for June 23 were suddenly postponed, with the Union Health Ministry pledging to announce new dates soon.