E-Paper
NEET UG paper leak: CBI names Hazaribagh school principal in 2nd charge sheet
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.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a second charge sheet in the ongoing investigation into the NEET UG 2024 question paper leak case. The charge sheet, submitted before the special court for CBI cases in Patna, names six accused individuals involved in the conspiracy, including key officials responsible for the conduct of the exam in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.
The six individuals named in the second charge sheet are Baldev Kumar alias Chintu, Sunny Kumar, Dr Ahsanul Haque (principal of Oasis School and city coordinator of Hazaribagh for NEET UG 2024), Md. Imtiyaz Alam (vice-principal of Oasis School and centre superintendent), Jamaluddin alias Jamal (a reporter from 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).
The CBI's investigation revealed that Dr Haque, as city coordinator, conspired with Md. Imtiyaz Alam, the centre superintendent, and others to steal and leak the NEET UG 2024 question paper.
The case has become a focal point in the ongoing scrutiny of irregularities surrounding the prestigious medical entrance exam.
The CBI filed its first charge sheet on August 1, naming 13 accused individuals. As many as 48 people have been arrested so far, including students, solvers, and facilitators involved in the leak.
The CBI said in a statement last month that it used “advanced forensic techniques, artificial intelligence, CCTV footage, (mobile) tower location analysis, etc. to gather evidence against the accused.”
The federal agency has also shared details of students who benefited from the leaked paper with the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the NEET exam. These candidates are now under scrutiny for possible disqualification or other penalties.
The NEET UG 2024 exam, a crucial gateway for students aspiring to enter medical and dental programs across India, has been marred by allegations of a question paper leak. The exam was conducted by the NTA on May 5, 2024, with 2.3 million candidates appearing at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 abroad. The results, declared on June 4, sparked widespread suspicion when 67 candidates achieved perfect scores of 720, with many reportedly hailing from the same examination centre.
The controversy intensified when it was revealed that several of those accused in the paper leak were officials responsible for overseeing the exam at key centres. In June, the Union ministry of education referred the matter to the CBI, which launched a nationwide investigation. Special teams were deployed to different states, and raids were carried out at 58 locations over a 39-day period.
The Supreme Court also took note of the issue, directing the NTA and the central government to submit affidavits detailing the measures taken to address the malpractice and prevent future breaches. The court sought a status report from the CBI and asked the NTA to outline steps for identifying and penalizing candidates who benefited from the leak.
