By Trend News Line 2024-06-23 17:16:12.
The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) Arrests Five More Suspects in NEET Paper Leak Investigation
The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police has intensified its investigation into the alleged NEET “paper leak” by apprehending five additional suspects on Sunday. The suspects were detained in Jharkhand’s Deoghar and brought in for questioning, bringing the total number of individuals arrested in connection with the case to 18.
Arrest of Five Suspects in Nalanda
The five arrested individuals have been identified as Baldev Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, Panku Kumar, Rajeev Kumar, and Paramjeet Singh, all residents of Nalanda. Baldev Kumar, who is associated with the notorious Sanjeev Kumar alias Lutan Mukhiya gang, allegedly received the solved answer sheet of the NEET-UG exam in PDF format on his mobile phone a day before the examination.
Links to the Mukhiya Gang
The statement released by the EOU implicated members of the Mukhiya gang in orchestrating multiple interstate paper leaks as the source of the leaked answer sheet. Investigations revealed that Baldev and his associates printed and distributed the solved answer sheet to students gathered at a safe house in Ram Krishna Nagar, Patna, for memorization on May 4. Two previously arrested individuals, Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand, were responsible for bringing the aspirants to the location.
Origin of the Leaked Question Paper
According to the EOU statement, the leaked NEET-UG question paper was obtained from a private school in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, by the Mukhiya gang. Investigators were able to match a partially burnt question paper recovered from the safe house in Patna with the reference question paper provided by the National Testing Agency (NTA), confirming the origin of the leak.
Disregard for Standard Procedures
The EOU also highlighted that standard procedures for handling and transporting question papers, as set by the NTA, were disregarded by those involved in the breach. Several persons linked to the custody chain of the question papers, including bank officials and employees of a courier company, were interrogated as part of the investigation.
Additional Arrests and Scrutiny of Aspirants
Rajeev Kumar, Panku Kumar, and Paramjeet Singh were arrested for providing duplicate mobile SIMs, phones, and accommodation to Baldev Kumar and his associates in Deoghar. Mukesh Kumar, a taxi driver, was also apprehended for facilitating transport for the accused and aspirants within Patna. The statement mentioned that 15 aspirants identified by the NTA were under scrutiny, with four already questioned and the remainder scheduled for examination by investigators.
Transfer of Case to CBI
With the case now transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), further investigation into the NEET paper leak and associated irregularities is expected to unfold under the agency’s purview. The initial arrests made by the EOU included 13 individuals, including a junior engineer and others linked to the case, following allegations from aspirants and their parents.
Background on NEET-UG Exam
The NEET-UG exam, which involved approximately 24 lakh candidates, was conducted by the NTA on May 5, with results announced on June 4. Subsequent allegations of paper leaks and irregularities emerged across Bihar and other states, prompting protests and legal challenges by students seeking a thorough investigation into the matter. The exam, conducted for admissions to various medical and related courses in government and private institutions nationwide, has been marred by controversy due to the alleged leak..
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