JEE Mains candidate in Assam, 4 more arrested for proxy exam writing: Police

According to an FIR filed by Mitradev Sharma at the Azara police station in Guwahati on October 23, the candidate allegedly didn’t appear for the test held on September 5.

Updated on: Oct 28, 2020, 23:22:31 IST

HIndustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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A Joint Entrance Exam (Mains) candidate in Assam, his father and three employees of an agency which conducts the engineering entrance exam have been arrested for allegedly using a proxy to appear in the test, said police.

The complainant has alleged that the parents of the candidate, both doctors, had paid a sum of ₹15-20 lakh to a private coaching institute in Guwahati to help the candidate in the crime. (HT Photo)

Neel Nakshatra Das, who scored 99.8 percentile, his father Dr Jyotirmoy Das, a practising doctor in a prominent Guwahati hospital and employees of the test conducting agency - Hirulal Pathak, Pranjal Kalita and Hemendra Sharma - were arrested by the Guwahati police on Wednesday evening.

“The five persons have been arrested based on investigation which revealed that Das and his father had used a proxy to appear on the candidate’s behalf with help of an agency,” MP Gupta, commissioner of police, Guwahati, said.

According to an FIR filed by Mitradev Sharma at the Azara police station in Guwahati on October 23, the candidate allegedly didn’t appear for the test held on September 5.

“We have constituted a special investigation team to probe the allegations. The FIR alleges the candidate used a proxy to appear in the test on his behalf,” said Suprotiv Lal Baruah, Additional DCP (West), Guwahati.

It is alleged that the candidate was scheduled to appear for the test at a centre located at Borjhar in the city. But after completing the biometric attendance formalities, he came out of the exam hall with the help of the invigilator and someone else wrote the test on his behalf.

“The matter came to light after the candidate reportedly admitted this during a phone call, which was recorded. As of now, we haven’t come across any other case of misrepresentation during the test,” said Baruah.

The police have got in touch with the National Testing Agency, which conducts the test across the country, and sought data related to the JEE Mains to help them in their investigation.

The complainant has alleged that the parents of the candidate, both doctors, had paid a sum of ₹15-20 lakh to a private coaching institute in Guwahati to help the candidate in the crime.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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