How NEET-UG 2024 paper leak happened in Hazaribagh: CBI reveals sequence of events

NEET-UG 2024 paper leak: CBI said Pankaj Kumar acted in connivance with Hazaribagh-based Oasis School principal Ehsanul Haque and vice principal Imtiaz Alam.

Updated on: Jul 26, 2024, 09:50:07 IST

By HT News Desk

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NEET-UG 2024 paper leak: Two days after the Supreme Court admitted that National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 paper leak happened in Hazaribagh and Patna, the Central Bureau of Investigation has revealed the sequence of events of the exam wrongdoings involving the principal and vice principal of a school.

Members of All India Democratic Students Organisation protest against the NTA over issues in NEET Exam at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. (Raj K Raj/HT file photo)

After hearing a batch of pleas on irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024, the Supreme Court on Tuesday concluded that a retest would not be justified. However, the court admitted that the paper leak happened in Hazaribagh and Patna. During the proceedings, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud also noted that ordering a fresh exam would have significant repercussions affecting over 24 lakh students who appeared in the exam.

NEET-UG exam: What CBI said on Hazaribagh paper leak

In a statement issued on its probe into the NEET paper leak, the CBI said 'mastermind' Pankaj Kumar acted in collusion with the principal and the vice principal of Oasis School in Hazaribagh to access the question paper hours before the commencement of the exam on May 5.
The CBI said said Pankaj Kumar acted in connivance with Oasis School principal Ehsanul Haque, also the NTA city coordinator, and vice principal Imtiaz Alam, who was the centre superintendent.
Trunks containing the NEET-UG 2024 question papers were brought to the school on May 5 morning and kept in the control room.
Minutes after the trunks arrived, Ehsanul Haque and Imtiaz Alam unauthorisedly and illegally granted Pankaj Kumar access to the room where the trunks were stored. Pankaj Kumar then used sophisticated tools to open the trunks and access the question papers. The trunks have since been seized.
The stolen paper was then solved in Hazaribagh on the morning of examination by a set of solvers who are studying in MBBS courses at AIIMS Patna, RIMS Ranchi and a Medical College in Bharatpur.
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 arrested. These solvers were specially brought to Hazaribagh as part of the conspiracy, the CBI spokesperson said.
The agency has arrested seven alleged solvers. Other masterminds gang members who acted with Kumar have been identified and some of them arrested.
The CBI said the candidates who gained access to the solved question paper are being traced and necessary action is being taken.
The agency has so far arrested 36 persons, he said.

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