NEET aspirant cheated with fake NRI sponsorship: KEA tightens rules, embassy verification made mandatory

A shocking case of medical admission fraud has emerged in Karnataka, where a NEET aspirant was duped into believing she could secure a seat under the NRI quota using a fake sponsorship. The incident, involving a student named Nayana, has now led to a police case and a policy rethink by KEA (Karnataka Examinations Authority).

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Nayana, who secured a 4.5 lakh NEET rank, was desperate to get a seat in a reputed medical college. Aware that her rank would not qualify her for a good seat through regular counselling, she allegedly approached a broker named Raghu from Nelamangala, who offered her a shortcut, a medical seat under the NRI quota in exchange for Rs 75,000.

Raghu reportedly provided Nayana with a fake identity of an Australian citizen, claiming to sponsor her under the NRI category. Using this fake documentation, Nayana attempted to participate in KEA’s NRI counselling round.

However, KEA officials quickly spotted inconsistencies in her documents and summoned her parents for verification. When questioned, the truth came out, the sponsorship was fraudulent, and the documents were fabricated. Fortunately, KEA let the student off with a strict warning considering her future and naivety, but has taken the incident seriously.

Following this case, KEA has announced that it will now verify all NRI sponsorship claims with the respective Indian embassies abroad before allowing candidates to proceed under the quota. Meanwhile, a case has been registered against broker Raghu at the Malleswaram Police and further investigation is underway.