- The accused hid the mobile phone in the school's washroom.
- At around 11 am, he came back to the toilet and concealed the phone in a zip-lock cover.
- The 18-year-old accused complained of stomach pain and requested to use the restroom.
An 18-year-old studenthas been arrested after he was caught cheating during the NEET-UG re-examination in a secondary school in Hyderabad in Ragannaguda, under the Adibatla Police Station limits, on Sunday. The accused hid the mobile phone in the school's washroom. The accused allegedly said that he was suffering from stomach pain and went to the toilet.
The police teams allegedly conducted strict frisking of the candidates appearing for the exams. Additionally, the team inspected the school premises twice, once at 6 am and again at 11 am.
What Happened In The School
The teenager earlier, at around 7 am, managed to access the washroom's ventilator as it was adjoined by the school compound wall. At around 11 am, he came back to the toilet and concealed the phone in a zip-lock cover before it was hidden in a flush tank. The routine checks could not detect the phone.
The 18-year-old accused complained of stomach pain and requested to use the restroom. When he took longer than expected, the invigilator became suspicious. Subsequently, a few staff members accompanied by the invigilator went to check on him. The accused was caught red-handed in the washroom, actively searching for answers on his mobile phone.
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Case Registered
The police team was immediately alerted, and the mobile phone was seized. A thorough inspection of the device revealed that he was using Google Chrome to search for answers, with no other active applications of concern besides Instagram. The accused confessed to the act during interrogation and is currently in police custody. Following a formal complaint by the school administration, the police have registered a case under Sec 318(4) BNS and Sec 10 r/w 3 of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act-2024.
Why Was There A Re-examination?
On May 3, the National Testing Agency conducted the NEET UG 2026 examination in around 551 cities across the country. However, they discovered that the exam paper had already been distributed on some mobile phones two days before the exam (May 1). Following this second consecutive NEET exam fraud, the investigation was transferred to the CBI, and the exam was therefore reconducted on June 21.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, since then, has faced intense scrutiny regarding the negligence. The Union Minister has been asked to resign by many amid the allegations.