NEET Re-Exam 2026: Student Caught Using Phone Hidden in Toilet Flush Tank at Hyderabad Exam Centre

AN 18-YEAR-OLD STUDENT has been arrested after being caught cheating during the NEET UG Re-Examination 2026 after his mobile phone was hidden inside a school washroom flush tank at an exam center in Ragannaguda, Hyderabad. He was arrested on Sunday, June 21, 2026 and the accused hid the mobile phone in the school's washroom for cheating purposes.

The accused allegedly said that he was suffering from stomach pain and went to the toilet. According to police officials, the student had allegedly planned to use unfair means and was caught inside a washroom while searching for answers on his mobile phone.

The student, a resident of Achampet, Nagarkurnool district came to the Zilla Parishad High School in Ragannaguda, under the Adibatla police station limits, around 7:00 am and managed to place a mobile phone in the washroom ventilator, police officials said.

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Phone hidden in toilet flush tank at Ragannaguda exam centre

An 18-year-old student managed to access the washroom around 7:00 am and placed the mobile phone there for cheating. At around 11:00 am, he came back to the toilet and concealed the phone in a zip-lock cover before it was hidden in a flush tank. The routine check at the examination center could not detect the mobile phone. 

The 18-year-old accused complained of stomach pain and requested to use the restroom for a while. When he took longer than expected, the invigilator became suspicious. Subsequently, a few staff members accompanied by the invigilator went to check on him, he was caught red-handed in the washroom, actively searching for answers on his mobile phone.

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Case Registered, Phone Seized

Police said the accused was caught red-handed inside the washroom. Upon being alerted, a team of police officials seized the mobile phone used in the crime. A thorough inspection of the device revealed that he was using Google to search for answers, with no other active apps  of concern besides Instagram, police further added. The accused is currently in police custody and a case under Sec 318(4) BNS and Sec 10 r/w 3 of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act-2024 has been registered. 

NEET 2026 Re-examination

The National Testing Agency conducted the NEET UG 2026 exam on May 3, 2026 in around 551 cities. The question paper got leaked. Following this second consecutive NEET exam fraud and paper leak, the investigation was transferred to the CBI, and the NEET examination was scheduled to be conducted on June 21, 2026. In this matter, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has been asked to resign by many amid the allegations.

(Edited by Vaishnavi Sivadasan)

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