Prime accused in JEE fraud case absconding in Assam

Five, including the candidate and his father, have been arrested so far

File photo of candidates at a JEE centre for representation.

The Assam police are yet to nab the prime accused in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main proxy candidate case.

The police said efforts were on to nab Bhargav Deka, owner of a Guwahati-based coaching institute that allegedly provided a substitute to take the test on behalf of

candidate Neel Nakshatra Das to eventually score 99.8%.

The candidate and his father Jyotirmoy Das, a doctor at a reputed hospital in Guwahati,

were arrested on October 28 , along with three employees of Tata Consultancy Services, to which the National Testing Agency (NTA) had outsourced the conduction of the examination.

A local court on October 29 sent the five arrested persons to five days in police custody.

“The prime accused is absconding. We hope to catch him and a few others connected with the case soon,” Guwahati’s Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Suprative Lal Baruah told

The Hindu on October 30.

Mitradev Sharma lodged a complaint at the Azara police station in Guwahati against the JEE topper on October 23 after a leaked phone call recording indicated he had used unfair means to score 99.8%.

The candidate was heard saying that the invigilator of the examination centre near the airport at Borjhar had helped him get out soon after signing and writing his roll number on the answer sheet, which was later filled up by his proxy somewhere else.

Senior police officials said a special investigating team had been formed to probe the JEE fraud case in which a number of people are believed to be involved.