NEET Paper Leak: Key Accused Pankaj Kumar Sent To 14-Day CBI Custody

A Patna court remanded Pankaj Kumar, key accused in the NEET-UG paper leak, to 14 days of CBI custody.

NEET UG Paper Leak Case: Patna court sends key accused to 14-day CBI custody.

Source : CBI Facebook Page

New Delhi: A special court in Patna on Wednesday remanded Pankaj Kumar alias Aditya, the key accused in the NEET-UG paper leak case, to 14 days of CBI custody. Kumar allegedly stole the exam paper from a trunk of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, as reported by news agency PTI.

The CBI plans to interrogate Kumar, a 2017-batch civil engineer from the National Institute of Technology in Jamshedpur, regarding his role in the theft, connections with other gang members, financial transactions, and local contacts involved. Kumar was arrested from Patna, while his alleged accomplice, Raju Singh, was detained in Hazaribagh and placed in CBI custody for 10 days until July 25.

Additionally, the CBI has arrested journalist Jamaluddin Ansari, and Oasis School's principal Ehsanul Haque, and vice-principal Imtiaz Alam, who were coordinators designated by the NTA in Hazaribagh. The Raj Guest House in Hazaribagh has been temporarily sealed in connection with the case.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOU) of the Bihar Police previously identified the notorious Sanjeev Kumar alias Lutan Mukhiya solver gang as the source of the leaked NEET-UG paper, which was traced back to the Oasis School in Hazaribagh. A partially burnt question paper found in a Patna safe house matched the reference paper provided by the NTA.

Ehsanul Haque claimed that the box containing the question papers malfunctioned and couldn't be opened. Following NTA's instructions, he used a cutter to access the papers.

The CBI, investigating the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam, has registered six FIRs. The Bihar FIR addresses the paper leak, while FIRs from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra focus on impersonation and cheating. The agency is also conducting a comprehensive investigation into NEET-UG 2024 irregularities based on a reference from the Union Education Ministry.