Those arrested include Dr Ajit Singh (44) from Jind in Haryana, Dr Vaibhav Kashyap (23) from Patiala in Punjab, Aman Siwach (24) from Rohtak in Haryana, Vipul Gaura (31) and Jayant (22), both of whom hail from Hisar in Haryana, Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajai Singh said.

They were arrested from a car near Barrage Road in Rishikesh late on Sunday evening, he said.

They are charged with helping three candidates at an exam centre in Kangra in Himachal Pradesh solve the question paper by using an instant messaging app, the SSP said.

Photographs of the question paper shot with a mobile phone was provided to the doctors through the app and they provided the answers, he said.

The accused had struck a deal of Rs 50 lakh with the candidates for helping them cheat in the exam. They had already received Rs 25 lakh from the candidates and the rest of the amount was to be paid to them after the publication of the exam results, the SSP said.

The two doctors were promised Rs 2 lakh each for solving the question paper.

Three tablets, three mobile phones, two medical books and the car used by the accused have been seized after their arrest, Singh said.

The exam was held by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Sunday.