Pathanamthitta: A significant incident of impersonation occurred during the NEET UG 2025 examination at the CM GVHSS Thaikadu examination centre in Pathanamthitta, Kerala. A student, later identified as Jithu, a resident of Patasala, Thiruvananthapuram, was apprehended for allegedly impersonating another candidate, Abhiraam. The incident unfolded when invigilators detected a discrepancy between the name on Jithus’ hall ticket and the details provided in his self-declaration form.
Initially, the mismatch was dismissed as a potential printing error, and Jithu was permitted to begin the examination. However, further verification with higher authorities revealed that Abhiraam, the individual whose details were on the self-declaration, was actually sitting the exam at a different centre in Thiruvananthapuram. This prompted immediate action, and Jithu was apprehended approximately one hour into the examination.
Student confesses after arrest
Examination officials promptly alerted the police, leading to Jithus’ arrest and subsequent questioning. During the investigation, Jithu confessed to obtaining the fraudulent hall ticket from an Akshaya centre in Neyyattinkara, approximately 25 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram. He claimed a female staff member at the centre sent the tampered document – utilising Abhiraam’s original hall ticket – to his mother via WhatsApp. Jithu then printed the document and presented it at the examination venue.
Lapse in security protocol
Adding to the irregularities, the hall ticket possessed by Jithu listed a school that was not registered as an official NEET examination centre. Jithu reportedly only realised the correct examination venue was Thaikadu GV HSS upon arrival. The police investigation highlights a significant lapse in security protocols, allowing the impersonation to continue for an hour before being detected.
The Pathanamthitta police station is actively investigating the matter, questioning both Jithu and the female staff member from the Akshaya centre. Further details regarding the interrogation and any potential charges are pending. This case underscores the vulnerabilities in examination security and the importance of robust verification procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
