Surat, May 7 – The Gujarat Crime Branch has arrested the alleged mastermind of a nationwide NEET exam fraud racket that promised students high scores and guaranteed passing in exchange for large sums of money. The accused, identified as Vipul Mulshankar Taraiya, 44, was posing as an educational consultant and is a resident of Iskcon Ambito on Mavadi-Kankat Road.
As per media report, Vipul Taraiya had been collecting hefty amounts from several parents under the false pretext of securing favorable NEET exam results for their children. Preliminary investigation by the Crime Branch has revealed that the gang defrauded at least five students and their families so far. Other accused in the racket include Rajesh Haribhai Pethani from Dhoraji, Dhaval Sanghvi from Udaipur, Prakash Taraiya currently residing in Surat, and Manjeet Jain from Belgaum, Karnataka.
The scam came to light after Tusharbhai Vekariya from Jetpur lodged a formal complaint, alleging that he was duped of Rs 30 lakh after being assured of a high score in NEET for his son. Following the complaint, PSI Anirudhsinh Jadeja and his team launched a swift operation, leading to the arrest of the prime accused Vipul Taraiya.
According to officials, Taraiya also runs an agricultural products agency alongside his fraudulent educational consultancy. During the course of investigation, it was found that in some cases the gang had demanded as much as Rs 60 lakh from parents desperate for their children to succeed in the highly competitive medical entrance exam.
The Crime Branch is now expanding the scope of its investigation to identify other victims who may have fallen prey to the scam. Authorities have appealed to the public and parents to come forward and report any such fraudulent activity directly to the Crime Branch without delay.
