From humble beginnings to alleged NEET scam mastermind

New Delhi: From the son of a cinema hall operator in Bihar’s Motihari to an RJD politician allegedly running an admission fraud network, Santosh Kumar Jaiswal’s rise was significant. It is now under scrutiny following his arrest by Delhi Police.New Delhi: From the son of a cinema hall operator in Bihar’s Motihari to a politician allegedly running an admission fraud network, Santosh Kumar Jaiswal’s rise was significant. It is now under scrutiny following his arrest by Delhi Police.

Police have identified the 50-year-old as the alleged mastermind behind a racket that targeted NEET aspirants and their families with false promises of securing MBBS admissions through leaked questions and manipulated examination arrangements. He was arrested on May 4, a day after the NEET exam concluded.

The case came to light after cops got inputs from Surat police on May 2 regarding suspicious activity linked to NEET-UG admissions. Acting on technical surveillance, police teams from the crime branch raided several hotels in Mahipalpur and tracked down suspects operating from Delhi-NCR.

Investigators said the accused lured parents into paying Rs 20-30 lakh for guaranteed medical seats. Students were allegedly taken away from their guardians and housed in hotels and flats ahead of the exam on the pretext of being given “important questions” that were likely to appear in the question paper.

Based on Jaiswal’s interrogation, police tracked down nearly 20 aspirants, some of them minors, from hotels and flats in Ghaziabad.

The cops also seized blank signed cheques, original Class X and XII marksheets of candidates, and 149 pages of compiled question-answer material allegedly prepared for the operation. A doctor trained in Kyrgyzstan, a property dealer and a Surat-based broker were arrested.

“Originally from Baswariya village in Motihari, Jaiswal came from a financially modest family. His father worked as an operator in a local cinema hall before losing employment after technological changes in the industry. After moving to Patna for studies, investigators believe Jaiswal got in touch with organised exam fraud operators and later expanded his network through political and business connections,” a senior officer said.

Sources said that earlier Jaiswal attempted to expand his presence in political circles and was associated with election activities in Bihar. In Delhi, he allegedly operated a pathology lab business. He reportedly acquired several properties, including a bungalow in East of Kailash, police said.