NEET re-test cheating: Hyderabad teen hid phone in flush tank to search answers
Synopsis
An 18-year-old NEET candidate in Hyderabad smuggled a mobile phone into an exam centre washroom by hiding it inside a flush tank — evading two security sweeps — before being caught using Google Chrome to search for answers. The case is among the first high-profile invocations of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 in Telangana.
Key Takeaways
An 18-year-old NEET candidate from Achampet was arrested on 22 June at ZPHS Ragannaguda, Hyderabad for exam malpractice.
He allegedly hid a mobile phone inside a washroom flush tank , evading security checks conducted at 6 am and 11 am .
The accused was caught using Google Chrome on the phone to search for answers during the NEET re-examination.
A case has been registered under Section 318(4) BNS and the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 .
The accused confessed during interrogation and remains in police custody .
An 18-year-old NEET candidate was taken into police custody on Sunday, 22 June after he was caught using a mobile phone hidden inside a washroom flush tank at an exam centre in Ragannaguda, Hyderabad, to search for answers during the re-examination. The incident took place at ZPHS Ragannaguda, a government school falling under the Adibatla Police Station limits.
How the Plan Was Executed
According to police, the accused — a resident of Achampet — had allegedly pre-planned the malpractice. He arrived at the school around 7 am, well before the examination began, and placed a mobile phone inside the washroom ventilator by accessing it through the adjoining school compound wall.
At 11 am, he re-entered the washroom, wrapped the phone in a zip-lock cover, and concealed it inside the flush tank. Security teams had inspected the premises at both 6 am and 11 am and conducted strict frisking of all candidates at the entrance, but the phone inside the flush tank went undetected during both sweeps.
How He Was Caught
During the examination, the candidate reportedly complained of stomach pain and sought permission to use the restroom — the only common washroom facility at the centre, situated at a distance from the main school building. After he spent an unusually long time inside, the invigilator dispatched staff members to check on him.
Staff found the accused red-handed, actively using the mobile phone to look up answers, police said. The device was immediately seized. A subsequent inspection of the phone revealed he had been using Google Chrome to search for answers; no other applications of concern were found active beyond Instagram.
Confession and Legal Action
The accused confessed to the act during interrogation and remains in police custody. Following a formal complaint by the school administration, police have registered a case under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 10 read with Section 3 of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
Wider Context
This incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of the NEET examination process following controversies in recent cycles over paper leaks and malpractice. The use of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 — a relatively new legislation — signals that authorities are invoking stricter statutory tools to deter exam fraud. Notably, the elaborate pre-placement of the device suggests a degree of advance planning that routine security protocols were not equipped to counter, raising questions about the adequacy of washroom-level checks at examination centres.
Point of View
Which means current protocols do not extend to washroom fixtures. With NEET already under a credibility cloud, each malpractice episode — however isolated — compounds public distrust. The invocation of the 2024 Public Examinations Act is a signal that the Centre wants deterrence, but deterrence without airtight physical security at centres is an incomplete answer. The real question is systemic: if a single candidate can pre-plant a device hours before an exam, what does that say about the readiness of hundreds of other centres nationwide?
NationPress
22 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the NEET cheating case in Hyderabad?
An 18-year-old NEET re-test candidate was arrested on 22 June after he was caught using a mobile phone hidden inside a washroom flush tank at ZPHS Ragannaguda, Hyderabad, to search for answers on Google Chrome. He had allegedly concealed the device inside the flush tank before the examination began, evading two security checks.
How did the candidate hide the phone without being detected?
According to police, the accused arrived at the school around 7 am, placed the phone in the washroom ventilator via the compound wall, and later moved it into a zip-lock cover inside the flush tank at 11 am. Security teams inspected the premises twice but did not check inside the flush tank.
What charges have been filed against the accused?
Police have registered a case under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 10 read with Section 3 of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. The accused remains in police custody after confessing to the act.
Which law is the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024?
It is a central legislation enacted in 2024 specifically to curb malpractice in public examinations such as NEET, JEE, and other national-level tests. It prescribes stringent penalties for cheating, impersonation, and organised paper leaks.
Why is this incident significant for the NEET examination?
The incident highlights gaps in physical security protocols at exam centres, particularly in areas like washrooms that fall outside standard frisking zones. It also comes at a time when the NEET process is under heightened public scrutiny following earlier controversies over paper leaks and irregularities.
