NEET solvers’ gang mastermind ‘PK’, aide arrested in Varanasi

(Revised copy with updates)
Varanasi: The Commissionerate police on Thursday arrested Pravin Kumar alias ‘PK’ alias Neelesh, the Patna-based mastermind of the solvers’ gang busted during NEET (UG)-2021 here on September 12, and his close aide Ritesh.
Their arrest took place a few hours after the announcement of a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on PK, against whom a local court had issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW).
Commissioner of police A Satish Ganesh said, “PK and Ritesh were arrested from the Ring road under the limits of Sarnath police station area. Ritesh, a clerk in culture and youth affairs department and posted at the secretariat of Bihar government in Patna, is married to PK’s sister Priya, who is a doctor at a PHC in Chhapra. Her involvement in the gang has also come to light in the ongoing investigations.”
“PK, who belongs to Chhapra district and posed as a doctor, had settled in Patna following the retirement of his father from the industry department in 1990,” police said.
“He had formed the solvers’ gang about six years ago. With the help of Ritesh he used to get the exam papers of different competitive examinations of UP, Uttarakhand and Bihar or arrange impersonators for gullible aspirants after charging huge amounts — from Rs 30 lakhs to Rs 49 lakh. With the wealth created from these illegal activities, he had constructed several multi-storied buildings in Patna, Danapur, purchased plots and luxury SUVs,” the police added.
The process for announcing the cash reward on PK had been initiated after issuance of NBW against him and it was approved on Thursday morning. Before announcing the cash reward on PK, the CP said that cash rewards of Rs 20,000 had also been announced on each of his accomplices — Mrityunjay Debnath and Dr Afroz — as they were also absconding and have not surrendered before the court so far.
With the progress in investigation, a medico of KGMU Osama Shahid, Abhay Kumar Mehta, Vikas Kumar Mahto of Khagadia, Raju Kumar of Jehanabad in Bihar and father of an aspirant Tapan Saha from Tripura have been arrested so far. The arrests started after the gang was busted by the police with the arrest of Juli Kumari and her mother Babita Devi of Patna on September 12 from a NEET exam centre at St Francis Xavier School in Sona Talab area under the limits of Sarnath police station in Varanasi.
Of the 25 aspirants in contact with the gang, 16 had appeared in NEET at different centres while nine skipped the exam. The National Testing Agency withheld the results of 15 aspirants while Biswas was banned for two years from appearing in the exam.
“Police summoned the 16 candidates for recording their statements and to take their fingerprints. They have started appearing before the investigation team and their statements are being recorded with videography,” the CP said.