UP NEET UG-2025: Meerut Fake Freedom Fighter Certificate Racket Under Investigation; 64 Candidates Implicated

A major investigation is underway into fraudulent freedom fighter dependent certificates allegedly used by several candidates during the first round of UP NEET UG-2025 counselling. Officials suspect the existence of a large racket in Meerut, potentially involving prominent individuals, that has been producing fake certificates.

A team led by ADM (Finance) Suryakant Tripathi is conducting the probe. According to the Directorate General of Medical Education, certificates of 64 candidates from nine districts were found to be fake, including 14 issued from Meerut.

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Among those implicated are Nancy from Ghaziabad, who claimed to be a dependent of freedom fighter Banwari Lal of Gotka village, Sardhana tehsil, with the certificate dated 21 April 2015. Other candidates include Shweta Singh (Lakhimpur Kheri), Afia Rani (Bijnor), Muhammad Aftab (Jalaun), Dasha Sachdev (Shahjahanpur), Nancy Khandelwal (Firozabad), Vishal Kumar (Banda), Guddu Kumar (Kanpur Dehat), Arshia Agarwal (Kanpur Dehat), Manvika Chauhan (Agra), Prerna Shekhar (Agra), Vartika (Agra), Vedika Priya (Bijnor), and Rene Singh (GIMS, Greater Noida).

ADM (Finance) Suryakant Tripathi explained that obtaining a freedom fighter’s dependent certificate requires submitting proof of relationship—such as birth or marriage documents—on the e-District portal, followed by a verification visit to the freedom fighter’s residence. This process, however, was reportedly bypassed in the case of the fraudulent certificates, which also bore forged seals and signatures of the ADM (Finance), Meerut.

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Officials suspect that the racket may have infiltrated government departments. Investigations are ongoing to trace the source of the certificates and determine the full extent of the operation. Authorities have also indicated that instructions regarding action against students who used the fraudulent certificates for admission will be issued once the inquiry concludes. If the racket is apprehended, a formal case will be registered.