A large-scale impersonation scandal came to light during the NEET UG 2026 re-examination in Bihar's Lakhisarai district. Authorities conducting intensive checks at exam centres across the district arrested nine individuals who had been appearing for the examination in place of the actual registered candidates, reportedly for a substantial sum of money. In parallel, seven employees of a private agency responsible for biometric verification at the exam centres were taken into custody for questioning.
Photo and Fingerprint Mismatch Triggered the Crackdown
The fraud unravelled during document verification when officials found that the photographs and fingerprints of certain candidates did not match their records. This triggered a thorough sweep of all four exam centres in the district. SDPO Shivam Kumar confirmed that every person arrested had been impersonating another candidate, and that evidence is being compiled against them while the broader network is being investigated.
Nine Arrested Across Three Exam Centres
The NEET UG re-examination was held at four venues in Lakhisarai: Kendriya Vidyalaya Kiul, Rajkiya High School Hasanpur, KRK High School, and DIET Lakhisarai. Fraudulent activity was detected at three of them. The highest number of arrests, seven, came from Kendriya Vidyalaya Kiul. One impersonator each was caught at Hasanpur High School and KRK High School, bringing the total to nine across these three centres.
An MBBS Student Among the Impersonators
Among the most startling aspects of the case is that several of those arrested are themselves enrolled in medical colleges. SDO Prabhakar Kumar stated that during initial questioning, many of the arrested youth claimed connections to medical colleges. Sources indicate that some belong to PMCH, ANMMCH Gaya, and medical institutions in Delhi. Arpit Raj, an MBBS fourth-year student at ANMMCH, Gaya, was arrested from Lakhisarai, and questioning is ongoing. At the Hasanpur exam centre, a person was caught sitting in the seat of a registered candidate named Sanjit Kumar. Investigative agencies are now verifying the educational records and identity documents of all the accused.
Biometric Agency Under Scrutiny
The private agency handling biometric attendance at the exam centres has come under serious suspicion. Police sources say that some of the fake candidates managed to enter exam centres without completing the full biometric verification process, suggesting possible complicity on the part of agency staff. Seven employees of this agency are being questioned at an undisclosed location, and investigators are working to determine whether this was part of a larger, premeditated conspiracy.
Inter-State Solver Gang Suspected
Investigative agencies suspect that an organised inter-state solver gang may be operating behind this racket. Police are trying to establish the financial transactions between the real candidates and the hired impersonators, and to identify all members of the network. Mobile phones, documents, and digital records of the arrested accused are being thoroughly examined. The administration has stated that once the investigation concludes, FIRs will be filed against all accused under the relevant legal provisions and strict action will follow.
Senior Officials Take Personal Charge
As soon as the incident was reported, DM Shailendra Kumar, SP Prerna Kumar, SDO Prabhakar Kumar, and SDPO Shivam Kumar personally visited the exam centres. They spent several hours conducting questioning to piece together the full sequence of events. The administration has treated the matter with the utmost seriousness and has launched simultaneous investigations on both technical and legal fronts.
