Mumbai, June 25: Two talented students from Jharkhand, who were once state toppers, have been implicated in a major NEET solver gang scandal. The students, who had aspirations of pursuing medical and nursing degrees, found themselves caught in a web of deceit due to financial pressures. Their families had been sending them money every month in hopes of supporting their education.
The first student, Poonam Kumari, had previously achieved the status of state topper in Jharkhand. Despite her success in the JAC Intermediate Science examination, she faced repeated failures in the NEET exam, leading her to enroll in a BSc Nursing course at BHU (Varanasi) in 2025. Her father, Baleshwar Rana, revealed that he sent her ₹7,000 monthly, sacrificing his own needs to support her education. Poonam had not returned home for seven months, often citing her busy study schedule.
Her father expressed deep disappointment, stating that her involvement in the scam has tarnished their family’s reputation, and he has chosen not to visit her in jail.
The second student, Chanchal Kumari, had passed the NEET UG exam in 2018 but missed out on admission due to delays. She later enrolled in a BAMS course at a government Ayurvedic college in Odisha and is currently in her final year. Chanchal’s brother, Satish Mehta, mentioned that she had recently returned home and may have fallen into the trap of the solver gang due to external influences.
Following the revelation of their involvement, the Economic Offenses Wing has initiated an investigation into the solver gang, leaving both families shocked and bewildered by their daughters’ actions. The families are still trying to understand how their daughters became entangled in such a scandal, especially as both students’ phones have been switched off for several days.