JEE scam: Assam Police launch manhunt to nab coaching centre owner, IT professional

The Assam Police have launched a manhunt to nab the owner of a coaching institute and an employee of an IT company in connection with the scam in the Joint Entrance Examination (Mains) in which five people have already been arrested for using a proxy to appear in the test in September on behalf of a candidate, who secured 99.8% marks, the police said on Friday.

The Assam government has constituted a special investigation team (SIT) led by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), Guwahati, Suprotive Lal Baruah, to probe the scam.

Baruah told the media that the police have launched a massive search operation for the owner of a city-based coaching centre and an employee of a leading IT company.

"Several people are suspected to be involved in the misconduct and the inquiry is on to unearth the full racket," he added.

Guwahati Police Commissioner Munna Prasad Gupta earlier said that a JEE (Main) candidate, his doctor father and three other co-conspirators were arrested on Wednesday evening and with the court's orders on Thursday, the police have taken them in their custody for interrogation.

The police have approached the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the JEE (Main) across the country in January and September, and sought information related to the examination.

The examination centre, where the September 5 test was held, has been sealed and the management has been summoned by the police.

Another senior police officer said that a complaint was lodged with the police on October 23 claiming that a candidate for the JEE (Mains) reportedly used a proxy candidate to appear for the test on his behalf and he secured 99.8% marks with the help of an invigilator and another person besides a private coaching centre.

The police did not yet divulge the full details of the scam in the interest of the probe.

"The candidate reportedly himself admitted to his fraudulent act to one of his friends during a telephonic conversation which was also recorded," the police officer said.

The October 23 complaint claimed that on the day of the examination on September 5, the candidate entered the specified centre at Borjhar area (in Guwahati), but subsequently left the exam hall after completing the biometric attendance and other formalities with the help of an invigilator and another person.

"After the original candidate walked out of the testing centre, his proxy filled up the computer-based answers," the police said.

According to the police, a private coaching centre in Guwahati was involved in the forgery of the countrywide premier engineering entrance test.

In Assam, 12,803 and 11,864 candidates were supposed to appear in the JEE (Mains) in September and October, respectively, but some candidates did not sit for the test due to the Covid-induced situations.