The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended two individuals involved in the NEET-UG paper leak scandal. Pankaj Kumar, also known as Aaditya, was arrested in Patna, while his associate, Raju Singh, was detained in Jamshedpur. Kumar, a civil engineering graduate from NIT Jamshedpur (2017), allegedly stole the paper from the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) trunk in Hazaribagh, Bihar. Singh was reportedly responsible for distributing the leaked paper.
Origin of the Leak: Hazaribagh
The CBI identified Hazaribagh as the source of the NEET-UG paper leak. The Oasis School in Hazaribagh was pinpointed as the location where the leak occurred. Two sets of question papers dispatched to the school arrived with broken seals. Despite this, the school staff did not report the issue, implicating their involvement in the leak.
A senior official revealed that nine sets of question papers were sent from SBI Hazaribagh to various centers. The compromised papers that reached the Oasis School were not flagged by the staff, establishing their role in the breach. Technical evidence led to a search at Learn and Play School in Patna, where burnt papers were discovered. The case was later transferred to the Bihar Economic Offences Unit (EOU).
On June 21, the NTA confirmed that the code on the recovered papers matched those found at the Oasis School. Notably, Dr. Ehsanul Haque, the principal of Oasis School and district coordinator for the NEET-UG exam in Hazaribagh, along with vice-principal Imtiaz Alam, the center coordinator, were implicated.
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CBI Investigation and Arrests
The CBI has registered multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) and arrested nearly 60 individuals in connection with the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam. These arrests span across several states, including Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra, where cases of impersonation and cheating have also been reported.
The NEET-UG exam, conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions, took place on May 5 this year. Over 23 lakh candidates appeared for the exam at 4,750 centers in 571 cities worldwide.
Suspiciously High Scores
This year’s NEET-UG results saw an unprecedented 67 students achieving a perfect score of 720. Among these top scorers, six were from a center in Haryana, raising further suspicions of irregularities. Allegations surfaced that grace marks contributed to these perfect scores, prompting deeper scrutiny of the examination process.
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