The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made its first arrests in the NEET-UG paper leak case in Bihar, detaining two individuals from Patna, identified as Manish Kumar and Ashutosh. According to CBI sources, Manish Kumar was involved in transporting students in his car and is suspected of arranging an empty school where around two dozen students were given the leaked paper to memorize. Ashutosh is accused of providing lodging for the students at his residence.
The two men were summoned by the agency for questioning on Thursday and were subsequently arrested. The CBI has registered six First Information Reports (FIRs) in the NEET paper leak case, with the first being filed on Sunday, following the Ministry of Education’s announcement to hand over the investigation to the central agency.
Prior to the CBI’s involvement, police had detained several individuals in Bihar, Maharashtra, and Delhi. Among them was an aspirant who claimed that he and others had received a copy of the question paper a day before the exam.
Nearly 24 lakh students appeared for the NEET-UG 2024 exam for undergraduate medical courses, conducted by the National Testing Agency, on May 5. The results were announced on June 4, ten days ahead of schedule. However, allegations of question paper leaks and the awarding of grace marks to over 1,500 students led to protests. Legal cases were also filed, including in the Supreme Court, which has criticized the NTA. The issue has escalated into a significant political controversy and was mentioned in President Droupadi Murmu’s address to a joint session of Parliament on Thursday. The President assured that the government is “committed to a fair investigation” and promised strict punishment for the culprits.
“The recent irregularities and paper leaks are being dealt with strongly, and the government’s focus is on improving the exam process,” she said, causing an uproar from the opposition benches. The INDIA bloc, which has 232 Lok Sabha MPs, is preparing to confront the government on the matter during the ongoing Parliament session.
Meanwhile, the youth wing of the Congress is staging a protest at Jantar Mantar.
