NEET paper leak case update: CBI arrests RIMS MBBS student who 'solved' papers

Ranchi: In the latest update on the NEET paper leak case, the CBI recently arrested a first-year MBBS student of Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for allegedly being part of a 'solver module' working with an engineer who had stolen the NEET 2024 question papers.

The accused Kumari was taken into custody after two days of detailed questioning by the CBI, the officials said.

According to PTI report, it is alleged that Kumari was the fifth member of the 'solver module' which was present in Hazaribagh in the morning of May 5, the NEET-UG examination day, to solve the paper stolen by Pankaj Kumar, officials said.

Speaking to PTI, an official had informed, "the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is questioning a first year MBBS student from the 2023 batch of RIMS in connection with the NEET UG paper leak case."

The student, who stays at the girls' hostel of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), formerly known as Rajendra Medical College and Hospital (RMCH), an autonomous institute under the Jharkhand government, was approached by the CBI earlier this week for questioning.

"The CBI team is questioning a first-year student. The team contacted the hospital management on Wednesday saying they wanted to question her in connection with the NEET paper leak. The management extended full cooperation to the team. On Thursday too, they grilled her and said she will be questioned further," RIMS PRO Rajiv Ranjan had earlier told PTI.

On the same day in neighbouring Bihar, the CBI arrested four MBBS students of AIIMS Patna as part of their investigation into the paper leak case.

Medical Dialogues team earlier reported the arrest of 2 individuals including a key accused for allegedly stealing the NEET question paper from a National Testing Agency's (NTA) trunk in Hazaribagh in Jharkhand.

With the two arrests, the total number of persons arrested in connection with cases pertaining to leakage, impersonation and other irregularities in the medical entrance exam has now reached 14.

The agency arrested Pankaj Kumar alias Aditya, a 2017-batch civil engineer from the National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, who allegedly stole the NEET-UG paper from the NTA trunk in Hazaribagh.

The CBI also arrested one Raju Singh who allegedly helped Kumar in stealing the paper and passing them on to other gang members. Singh was arrested from Hazaribagh.

The CBI, which is probing the alleged irregularities in the medical-entrance exam, has lodged six FIRs. The FIR from Bihar pertains to paper leak while the remaining ones from Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra are regarding impersonation of candidates and cheating.

The agency’s own FIR on a reference from the Union education ministry pertains to a “comprehensive investigation” into the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024.

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).

Earlier, while considering the NEET-related pleas, the Supreme Court had refused to defer the counselling/seat allotment process scheduled to commence on July 6. However, the bench had orally observed that the admissions would be subject to the final outcome of the petitions and if the exams were set aside, the counselling would get invalidated consequentially.

The Top Court had also expressed its concern over the alleged discrepancies in the NEET UG 2024 exam. The Court had noted that even '0.001& negligence' in conducting the NEET-UG 2024 exams would be looked into with all seriousness considering the immense labor put in by the candidates for the prestigious examination.

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