NEET paper leak case: HC grants CBI custody to 13 arrested

Patna: In the latest update on the NEET paper leak case, the Patna High Court has granted CBI custody to 13 individuals arrested in the matter. These 13 individuals mentioned were arrested by the Patna Police earlier.

As per the ANI report, the CBI will undertake their custodial examination and will be able to confront them with the kingpin Rocky, who is also in CBI custody.

Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested accused Rakesh Ranjan alias Rocky from Bihar's Nalanda in connection with the NEET paper leak case. Ranjan's arrest brings a significant advancement in the investigation, the agency said on Thursday.

"Before his arrest, the CBI set a trap and conducted raids at four locations in the vicinity of Patna and in Kolkata," a senior CBI official told ANI.

The development comes on the heels of a series of coordinated raids at multiple locations, including Patna and Kolkata, aimed at dismantling the intricate web of individuals involved in the scandal.

The CBI's investigation has so far resulted in the arrest of over a dozen suspects, each allegedly playing a role in the leak and distribution of the NEET exam papers.

The CBI has been utilising advanced investigative techniques to track down and apprehend those involved.

"Ranjan was located and identified through a detailed analysis of digital footprints, including IP addresses and email communications, underscoring the agency's dedication to employing cutting-edge technology in its efforts to combat corruption and fraud," the official added.

The CBI continues to pursue leads and gather evidence in the ongoing investigation.

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.