Bihar EOU Takes Over NEET UG 2026 Impersonation Case; 200 MBBS and Nursing Students Under Probe
In one of the largest alleged examination fraud investigations in recent years, the Bihar Police’s Economic Offences Unit (EOU) has officially taken over the probe into the NEET UG 2026 re-examination impersonation racket after preliminary findings suggested the involvement of nearly 200 dummy candidates, the majority of them MBBS students, along with a few nursing students. The development follows the June 21, 2026 NEET UG re-examination, which itself was conducted after the original May 3, 2026 examination was cancelled over a paper leak controversy.
Investigators believe the alleged network recruited medical and nursing students from Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi to write the examination on behalf of genuine candidates. The EOU has now assumed control of all FIRs, case diaries and investigation documents from Lakhisarai Police owing to the specialised nature of the case. Officials say the inquiry will determine how many impersonators successfully appeared at 331 examination centres spread across 35 cities in Bihar, while also examining whether similar tactics were used in other states. According to police, the racket may have generated as much as ₹50 crore, with impersonators allegedly promised a share of the proceeds and biometric verification personnel reportedly paid around ₹20,000 for every fake candidate allowed entry.
Biometric Security Under Scanner as Police Probe Alleged Insider Collusion
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the investigation is the alleged compromise of the biometric verification process, a security measure introduced specifically to prevent impersonation. According to investigators, biometric details of genuine candidates were reportedly collected outside examination centres, while fingerprints of the dummy candidates were captured at the venue. When fingerprint authentication failed, investigators allege that biometric personnel used a manual bypass mechanism to permit the impersonators to enter the examination halls. These allegations have shifted the focus of the investigation from individual solvers to possible institutional failures and insider collusion.
Police have already arrested 30 individuals, including nine alleged dummy candidates, MBBS students, biometric supervisors, technical operators and other suspected accomplices. Among those arrested are students from medical, dental, nursing and ayurvedic colleges across multiple states. Investigators have also identified an original NEET candidate from Nalanda and multiple MBBS students allegedly connected to the network, including students from government medical colleges. Authorities are additionally examining the role of the agencies responsible for biometric verification after reports that the National Testing Agency (NTA) had awarded the biometric contract to EDCIL , which subcontracted the work to another company. Officials are expected to scrutinise whether senior personnel played any role in facilitating the alleged fraud.
Questions Over Examination Integrity Extend Beyond Paper Leaks
The investigation has now moved beyond isolated instances of impersonation to what police suspect could be a well-organised examination syndicate operating for several years. During interrogation, some of the arrested accused allegedly disclosed that similar methods had also been used during the May 3 NEET UG 2026 examination , which was subsequently cancelled because of the paper leak controversy. Investigators further suspect that comparable tactics may have been employed in medical entrance examinations over the past three years, significantly widening the scope of the inquiry.
EOU officials have indicated that tracing the actual candidates who hired impersonators will now become a major priority. The agency is seeking detailed candidate information from the NTA, including roll numbers, addresses and examination records, to identify beneficiaries of the alleged fraud. The investigation will also analyse the financial trail, recruitment network and communication channels that enabled such a large-scale operation to function across multiple states.
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For India’s medical community, the revelations raise uncomfortable but necessary questions. While individual offenders must face strict legal consequences, the case also exposes systemic vulnerabilities in examination governance. The allegations suggest that even sophisticated security measures such as biometric verification can fail when insider collusion is suspected. As the EOU expands its investigation, the findings are likely to influence future examination security protocols, accountability mechanisms for outsourced agencies, and broader reforms aimed at restoring trust in India’s high-stakes medical entrance examinations. Until the investigation concludes, the allegations remain under official probe, and authorities have not yet established the complete extent of the network or the involvement of all accused persons.
