NEET paper leak case: CBI files 2nd chargesheet against 6 accused including Hazaribagh School Principal

Patna: In the latest update on the NEET UG paper leak, the Crime Investigation Bureau (CBI), investigating the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam has filed its second chargesheet naming six accused in connection along with a shocking revelation. 

The agency investigation has revealed that the principal and vice principal of the Oasis School in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, allegedly conspired with others to steal the NEET-UG 2024 question paper.

Submitting before the special court in Patna on Friday, the agency has named the Principal of Oasis School, Hazaribagh & City Coordinator for Hazaribagh Ahsanul Haque, Vice Principal of Oasis School and Centre Superintendent Mohd Imtiyaz Alam, Baldev Kumar alias Chintu, Sunny Kumar, a Reporter for a newspaper in Hazaribagh and Aman Kumar Singh.

They were charged under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), Section 109 (abetment), Section 409 (criminal breach of trust), Section 420 (cheating), Section 380 (theft), Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), and Section 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property).

Also read- NEET paper leak case: CBI files first chargesheet against 13 accused

According to the official press release, the agency has invoked additional substantive charges under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) against the Oasis School’s Principal who was appointed as the City Coordinator and the Vice-Principal who was appointed as the Centre Superintendent by NTA for the conduct of NEET UG-2024 examination.

As per PTI, the CBI alleged that Pankaj Kumar, one of the alleged masterminds, acted in connivance with Haque and Alam. The trunks containing the NEET UG 2024 question papers were brought to the school and kept in the control room in the morning of May 5. Haque and Alam illegally allowed Kumar to access the room where the trunks were kept, the CBI has alleged. Using sophisticated tools, Kumar allegedly opened the trunk to access the question papers from the trunk, it said.

According to the CBI, the paper was solved at Hazaribagh on the morning of examination of May 5 by a set of solvers studying in MBBS courses at AIIMS Patna, RIMS Ranchi and a Medical College in Bharatpur. The agency has arrested seven alleged solvers and seized the equipment used to open the trunk.

"The solved paper was shared with certain selected students who paid money to the accused. All the solvers, who are MBBS students from reputed colleges, have been identified and most of them were arrested. These solvers were specially brought to Hazaribagh as part of the conspiracy," the CBI spokesperson had said.

Other gang members who acted with Kumar have been identified and some of them arrested. "This group was actively assisted by a set of accused persons who arranged places for housing the candidates, another set of accused were involved in mobilising and ferrying the candidates. The candidates who gained access to the solved question paper are being traced and necessary action is being taken," the CBI had said.

The CBI has arrested 48 individuals so far in connection with the case. CBI has also identified the beneficiary candidates of this paper leak and has shared their details with the National Testing Agency for necessary action. 

As per an HT news report, the CBI said last month that it used advanced forensic techniques, artificial intelligence, CCTV footage, (mobile) tower location analysis, etc. to gather evidence against the accused.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that the CBI filed its first chargesheet naming 13 accused in the matter. The charge sheet lists that the accused were allegedly involved in the paper leak and other irregularities.

The NEET-UG is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions. This year, the exam was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 abroad. More than 23 lakh candidates had appeared for the test.

NEET Controversy

This year's NEET UG 2024 exam was mired in controversies after a paper leak scam came to light. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that around 13 people, including four examinees and their family members, were arrested in Bihar for their alleged involvement in the paper leak of the NEET-UG exam. Patna police sources had previously claimed that the NEET-UG question papers along with their answers were provided to around 20 aspirants a day before the date of the exam i.e. May 5, 2024.

Then, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police, which took over the investigation, revealed that the brokers involved in the NEET paper leak scam took between Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh from each of the medical aspirants in exchange for giving them the question paper of the NEET UG 2024 question paper ahead of the examination.

Multiple pleas have been filed before the High Courts and the Supreme Court seeking an investigation into the alleged paper leak scam. Some of the pleas demanded the scrapping of the NEET UG 2024 exam and holding a retest.

Meanwhile, during the case proceedings, NTA earlier decided to withdraw the grace marks awarded to 1563 candidates and hold an optional retest for those candidates. Those who did not opt for the retest were allowed to retain their original marks, without the grace marks.

The matter is now being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Central Government on June 22, 2024, handed over the charge of investigating in the alleged irregularities in the NEET UG 2024 examination to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Also read- NEET paper leak case: CBI arrests MBBS student of Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia Medical College