Jee Exam Scam: Proxy candidate Pradeep Kumar remanded to 10-day police custody

Nov. 30: Pradip Kumar, the proxy candidate who wrote the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains 2020 for Neel Nakshatra Das to top the test, was arrested by Assam Police from Delhi on Sunday. Pradeep Kumar was brought to Guwahati on a special flight. On Monday, he was produced before the court of the Kamrup Metro Judicial Magistrate. The court remanded him to ten-day police custody. He has been in under custody of Azara police officials.

Guwahati police commissioner while addressing the media said the proxy candidate Pradeep Kumar appears to be a professional proxy candidate. Police officials have also seized a laptop and mobile phone from the possession of Pradeep Kumar.

The proxy candidate sat for the JEE (Mains) Exam, 2020 on behalf of Neel Nakshatra Das in Guwahati. The scam came to light last month, when the phone call recording of the accused candidate, who took the help of a proxy candidate, went viral on social media. According to the FIR lodged by Mitradev Sharma at the Azara police station in Guwahati, it was alleged that the candidate, who scored 99.8%, allegedly didn’t appear for the test held on September 5.

During investigation, police has so far arrested 8 persons including the proxy candidate himself. However, the proxy candidate could not be traced as yet. Those arrested have been lodged at Guwahati central jail. They are the candidate Neel Nakshatra Das, his father Dr Jyotirmoy Das, the mastermind of the scam and owner of Global Edu Light Bhargav Deka, consultant of Global Edu Light Kakoli Buzarbaruah, two employees of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) – Hamendra Nath Sarma and Pranjal Kalita and one invigilator of the examination Hirukamal Pathak.