Ahmedabad: Gujarat Cyber Crime Police have arrested a 19-year-old student from Bihar in connection with an alleged NEET refund fraud case involving the unauthorised access of candidate accounts and attempted diversion of examination refund payments.
The case came to light after a complainant reported that someone had allegedly created a false identity using his daughter's details and gained access to her NEET UG-2026 account. According to investigators, the accused obtained the candidate's application credentials and logged into the official NEET portal without authorisation.
Police said the accused allegedly attempted to divert the candidate's refund amount by replacing her bank account details with another account, enabling the refund money to be transferred elsewhere.
Based on the complaint, Gujarat Cyber Crime Police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act and launched a technical investigation.
The breakthrough came after the Chief Information Security Officer of the National Testing Agency shared key information with investigators. Through analysis of digital records, bank account details and technical evidence, police traced the accused to Bihar.
The accused has been identified as Navin Kumar Yadav, a BSc student from Ghuriyawa village in Bihar's Gaya district.
During the investigation, police discovered that the alleged operation extended beyond a single account. According to officials, nearly 350 NEET candidates were targeted, with around 150 accounts allegedly accessed by taking advantage of weak and easily guessable passwords.
Investigators said the accused allegedly reviewed candidates' personal and financial details after gaining access to their accounts. Upon finding that some candidates were eligible for examination fee refunds, he allegedly altered bank account information in an attempt to redirect the payments.
Police believe the accused intended to receive refund amounts directly into accounts under his control, turning the refund process into a source of illegal financial gain.
Officials said the case highlights the growing risks associated with weak passwords and the increasing targeting of educational portals by cyber fraudsters.
Further investigation is underway to determine whether additional candidates were affected and whether any other individuals were involved in the alleged fraud.