JEE mains topper in Assam allegedly used proxy for exam, arrested

The alleged use of a proxy for writing the Joint Entrance Exam (Mains) has left its Assam topper and his father behind the bars. Besides, three testing officials of the testing centre have also been arrested for their role in the alleged crime, reported NDTV.

The accused candidate – Neel Nakshatra Das – had scored 99.8 per cent in the exam. Apart from him, those arrested in the case were: Dr Jyotirmoy Das, father of the candidate, and Hamendra Nath Sarma, Pranjal Kalita and Hirulal Pathak, according to Guwahati Police.

The five arrested will be produced in court on Thursday (October 29). The testing centre has been sealed and the management has been summoned, according to the report. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has been informed about the incident as well.

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According to Guwahati Police Commissioner MP Gupta, a first information report (FIR) was registered by the Azara Police against the candidate for allegedly using a proxy to appear in the examination in his place.

He also said, according to the report, that investigation revealed the role of a “middleman” agency in the plan. The testing centre staff were also involved, he said. The commissioner further indicated that this could be part of a larger scam and an investigation is on.

The police have also alleged the role of the invigilator in the plan. The police said that the accused had entered the testing centre just to fill his name and roll number on the answer sheet while his proxy wrote the paper for him outside, according to the report.

Last week, a police complaint was lodged in this matter after a phone call recording and a WhatsApp chat surfaced on the social media indicating the use of unfair means to top the exam.