PGMET topper, 3 others held
The CID has arrested 10 more people, including the first ranker Akula Srikanth, and three other rank holders, in connection with the Post-Graduate Medical Entrance Test scam at the Dr NTR University of Health Sciences.
Police said that a gang member infiltrated the Manipal press, as a casual labourer, and stole copies of the question paper. Cops found that the three main accused were involved in exam scams in Karnataka and MP too.
The police also arrested a doctor, who helped the gang with answer keys. So far, the CID has arrested 30 people — 15 medical students and 15 brokers — in connection with the case. The CID said that 27 students, 16 consultants, a doctor, and two helpers were involved in the scam.
Explaining the modus operandi, CID additional DG Krishna Prasad said the gang had hatched an elaborate plan to leak question papers and tutor the candidates with the help of answer keys and to col- lect money from the candidates. “Initially, the main accused, Ameer Ahmed, from the Davangere district of Karnataka, tried to infiltrate the Manipal press. The brokers got in touch with 27 candidates, who agreed to pay for the leaked papers. The brokers also tutored the candidates at Mumbai, Goa, Hydera-bad and Bengaluru before the examinations,” said Mr Prasad.
During the course of the investigation, the CID officials found that most of the students paid huge amounts, as advance, through cheques and bank transactions. “A few even paid the money through hawala,” said the CID chief, adding that officials are yet to find the total amount involved in the scam. The officials have also found many irregularities and procedural lapses at the NTR University of Health Sciences. Officials said that if need be, action will be initiated against the university staff also. Around 15,000 students had appeared for the examinations.