NEET papers leak: CBI files charges against Hazaribagh school principal and vice-president | India News

In addition, the Central Investigation Agency took action under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Haque and Alam.

Haque has been appointed as the city coordinator for Hazaribagh and Alam has been appointed as the centre director by the National Testing Agency for conducting the NEET UG-2024 examination.

The CBI has arrested 48 people in connection with the case.

The CBI has also identified the beneficiaries of this paper leak and submitted their data to the National Testing Agency for necessary action.

On August 1, the authority filed charges against 13 defendants for the first time.

The CBI alleged that Pankaj Kumar, one of the alleged masterminds, acted with the collusion of Haque and Alam.

The suitcases containing the NEET UG 2024 exam questions were brought to the school on the morning of May 5 and kept in the control room.

The CBI alleges that Haque and Alam illegally gave Kumar access to the room where the suitcases were kept.

Kumar allegedly opened the trunk using sophisticated tools to get to the exam papers, it was said.

According to CBI, the exam was solved on the exam morning of May 5 in Hazaribagh by a group of candidates pursuing MBBS courses at AIIMS Patna, RIMS Ranchi and a medical college in Bharatpur.

The agency arrested seven suspected crooks and confiscated the equipment used to open the trunk.

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

Other gang members who worked with Kumar were identified and some of them were arrested.

“This group was actively supported by a group of accused who arranged accommodation for the candidates, another group of accused was involved in mobilisation and promotion of the candidates. The candidates who got access to the resolved issues are being traced and necessary action is being taken,” the CBI had said.

The NEET-UG is conducted by the NTA for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions. This year, the exam was held on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 abroad. More than 230,000 candidates had registered for the exam.

First published: September 20, 2024 | 2:55 p.m. IS