Unearthing a racket involved in securing medical-college seats using unscrupulous means in the the NEET exam, held on May 6, the CBI on Wednesday arrested three suspected middlemen.

The arrests came three days after a complaint filed by Director (NEET) of CBSE Sanyam Bhardwaj claiming that Mohit Kumar from Khurja in Uttar Pradesh was acting as a tout and assuring prospective candidates and their parents in qualifying the NEET exam and for securing admission.

According to the complaint, which is part of the FIR, Kumar is claimed to have conspired with Ashwani Tomar, who are running a private agency in New Delhi's West Patel Nagar as well as Manoj Kumar Sikka in Ludhiana.

Both Tomar and Sikka run agencies providing consultancy to NEET candidates.

The CBI has arrested Kumar, Sikka and Tomar.

According to the CBSE, the three conspired with "unknown candidates" to get them seats in medical colleges using "illegal, unfair and unscrupulous means" in NEET-UG, "thereby depriving the deserving ones".

A CBI spokesperson said searches were conducted at the residential and official premises of the accused in Delhi, Khurja and Ludhiana, leading to recovery of incriminating documents including original educational certificates, admit cards of NEET exam, blank cheques and rubber stamps of educational institutions.