CHENNAI/THENI/VELLORE: CB-CID on Sunday detained the father of another student suspected in a case related to alleged impersonation in NEET. The father of the student Irfan, whose absence was flagged at the Dharmapuri medical college where he was studying, is also a doctor.
Police have taken steps to secure Irfan, who is said to have escaped to Mauritius on September 6, sources said.
The sources said Mohammed Shafi alias Raja (43) runs two private clinics – Raja hospital at Kadharpettai at Vaniyambadi and Aroor Raja hospital at Tirupattur. Since all his siblings were doctors, Shafi wanted to make Irfan also a doctor and got an impersonator to clear NEET for him, sources said. Shafi was taken to the Theni CB-CID office for inquiry.
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"After the scam came to light, Irfan, fearing he could be caught by police, applied for leave at college and flew to Mauritius," said a police source.
CB-CID sources said the heads of the four institutions at which the four students, under the scanner, had secured medical seats had been summoned for interrogation. They were expected to appear before the officials on Monday.
Meanwhile, Chennai medical college student Rahul of Sree Balaji Medical College and his father Davis were arrested by CBCID sleuths in Theni on Sunday. Rahul and his father were produced before the Theni Judicial Magistrate Court on Sunday along with SRM student Praveen and his father AKS Saravanan, who were arrested on Saturday.
Judicial Magistrate N Panneerselvam sent them to Theni Dist Jail for 15 days under judicial remand. Another student and her parent are still being questioned.
Andipatti DSP S Seenivasan told reporters Theni Medical College Dean AK Rajendran, who filed the complaint of impersonation against Chennai student Udit Suriya, had been asked if he had received any threats.
The DSP said Rajendran's complaint against two faculty members for allegedly manipulating the attendance register in favour of Udit had been forwarded to CB-CID.
On Saturday, police sought details of students who cleared NEET through coaching centres in the State. They also wrote to the National Testing Agency seeking information on whether the students had furnished the same personal credentials in different States.
An MBBS student of Government Kilpauk Medical College, who was on long leave, appeared before the college officials on Saturday and completed a reverification of his certificates. The lone student had not appeared for reverification raising doubts. However, officials said he appeared on Saturday and stated he could not appear earlier as he had fever.
However, Directorate of Medical Education officials said a few students at other colleges were yet to appear for reverification.
"They have given various reasons. We have told them to produce the certificates by Monday," a source said.