NEET re-exam: Student held for cheating with hidden phone in Hyderabad

A NEET re-exam candidate in Hyderabad was caught red-handed using a mobile phone hidden in a washroom flush tank to search answers during the test. Despite prior police inspections, the device went undetected until invigilators noticed his prolonged absence.

Hyderabad: A NEET candidate was caught for allegedly using a mobile phone to cheat during the NEET-UG re-examination at a government school centre in Ragannaguda, Adibatla on Sunday.

According to the police, the student, a resident of Achampet, concealed a mobile phone inside the washroom of the examination centre before the exam began.

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Police said the candidate arrived at the Zilla Parishad High School around 7 am and placed a mobile phone near the washroom ventilator, which was accessible from the adjoining compound wall.
Around 11 am, he allegedly entered the washroom and put the device in a zip-lock cover before hiding it in a flush tank.

Despite two rounds of inspections conducted by the security personnel and strict frisking of candidates at the entrance gate, the concealed phone went undetected.

“During the examination, the student complained of stomach pain and sought permission to use the washroom. After noticing that he had spent an unusually long time inside, the invigilator deputed staff members to check on him. The candidate was reportedly found using the hidden mobile phone to search for answers on Google Chrome,” said the Adibatla police.

The police were alerted immediately and the personnel seized the device. Preliminary examination of the phone revealed that the candidate had been searching online for answers during the examination. Investigators found no suspicious applications on the device apart from routine social media apps.

During questioning, the student allegedly confessed to malpractice.

Based on a complaint lodged by the school administration, the Adibatla police have registered a case under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 10 read with Section 3 of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

The student has been taken into custody and further investigation is underway.