A shocking case of academic fraud has rocked India’s medical education system as Rajasthan police arrested an AIIMS Jodhpur final-year student for allegedly using a “dummy candidate” to clear the NEET-UG exam in 2020. The arrest, made barely months before his MBBS completion, has reignited concerns over the integrity of India’s high-stakes entrance tests.
The Dummy Candidate Racket: Five Years in the Making
In a revelation that raises serious questions about examination security and the sanctity of India’s medical admissions process, Rajasthan police have arrested Sachin Gora, a final-year MBBS student at AIIMS Jodhpur, for allegedly using a “dummy candidate” to secure his admission through NEET-UG 2020. The fraudulent scheme, officials say, was unearthed five years after the exam, and just months before Sachin’s graduation.
The investigation began following a tip-off from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which oversees the NEET-UG examination. According to Jaipur DCP (West) Amit Kumar, the NTA flagged discrepancies indicating that while Sachin Gora had officially scored 667 marks, he never physically appeared for the exam. Instead, another person, posing as Sachin, sat for the test, using fraudulent documentation and a photograph mismatch.
Doctors, Money, and Misdirected Merit
Police have also arrested Dr. Ajit Gora, who allegedly appeared in place of Sachin. Ajit, currently undergoing his compulsory internship after completing MBBS from Bharatpur Medical College, reportedly received payment for impersonating Sachin in the exam. The arrangement, investigators say, was facilitated by Dr. Subhash Saini, a health officer in Nagaur district, who allegedly fixed the deal for ₹60 lakh.
Initial probes suggest that Saini may have orchestrated similar arrangements in the past. Notably, officials claim that he had accepted ₹65 lakh in 2013 to help another candidate clear the NEET-PG exam. In both instances, the impersonation involved tampering with admit card photos, submission of fake identity documents, and systematic evasion of biometric authentication checks.
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Larger Network, Systemic Gaps, and Arrests
Following the arrests of Sachin and Ajit, Dr. Saini was detained for questioning. Authorities suspect that more candidates may have benefited from similar arrangements, pointing to a potential syndicate of academic fraud involving medical coaching agents, professionals-for-hire, and corrupt intermediaries.
This case is one of the latest in a disturbing pattern of NEET-related malpractices, which include impersonation, leaked question papers, and fabricated scorecards. While biometric verification was introduced in later years to strengthen exam integrity, this case highlights how vulnerabilities in earlier systems were exploited. The police have now reopened six cases from 2013 linked to similar dummy candidate frauds, and enforcement agencies are expected to coordinate with the NTA and medical institutions for a broader investigation.
The Fallout: Repercussions for Institutions and Aspirants
The scandal is expected to spark fresh debates about the reliability of NEET and the broader ethics of meritocracy in India’s education system. While AIIMS Jodhpur has not officially commented, sources indicate that Sachin Gora’s degree may be annulled pending internal review. Legal experts suggest that the trio may be charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, forgery, impersonation, and criminal conspiracy. The Information Technology Act may also be invoked if electronic records were manipulated.
The case is a stark reminder of how a single fraudulent admission can erode public trust and block genuine candidates from deserving opportunities. As investigations widen, regulators face mounting pressure to reinforce NEET’s credibility and ensure that similar breaches never recur.
About the author – Prakriti Jha is a student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, currently pursuing B.Sc. LL.B (Hons.) with a keen interest in the intersection of law and data science. She is passionate about exploring how legal frameworks adapt to the evolving challenges of technology and justice.