NEET-UG Paper Leak Case: CBI Arrests 'Mastermind' B.Tech Graduate, 2 MBBS Students Who Acted As 'Solvers'

NEET-UG Paper Leak Case: The CBI arrested three individuals, including two MBBS students and a B.Tech graduate, for their involvement in the NEET-UG paper leak case.

Representational Image | The CBI has been investigating multiple irregularities in the NEET-UG examination process, with six FIRs lodged across various states including Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.

Source : Getty_Images

NEET-UG Paper Leak Case: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) made significant progress in the NEET-UG paper leak case on Saturday with the arrest of three individuals, including a B.Tech graduate from NIT-Jamshedpur and two MBBS students. Officials cited by news agency PTI confirmed that Kumar Mangalam Bishnoi, a second-year MBBS student, and Deepender Sharma, a first-year MBBS student, both from a medical school in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, were apprehended.

They are alleged to have solved the stolen NEET-UG exam papers for monetary gain. The papers were originally stolen by Pankaj Kumar, an engineer, from an National Testing Agency (NTA) trunk in Hazaribagh. Bishnoi and Sharma were reportedly present in Hazaribagh on the day of the exam, May 5, and were involved in a solver module that has already seen five MBBS students arrested.

Sashikant Paswan, also known as Sashi or Pasu, a B.Tech graduate in Electrical Engineering from NIT-Jamshedpur, was the third person arrested on Saturday. According to the CBI, Paswan is considered a key mastermind in the scheme, working alongside Kumar and Rockey, another individual previously arrested in connection with the case, PTI reported.

The ongoing investigation, which has now led to 21 arrests across six related cases, was transferred from the Bihar Police to the CBI. The agency has already arrested Pankaj Kumar and Raju Singh, who assisted him, as well as Rockey. Surender Sharma was arrested earlier this week for his involvement in the case.

The CBI has registered six FIRs as part of its comprehensive probe into NEET-UG 2024 irregularities. The FIR from Bihar addresses the paper leak, while additional FIRs from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra focus on impersonation and cheating. The investigation also follows a reference from the Union Education Ministry, targeting broader irregularities within the examination process.

NEET-UG Paper Leak Case: RIMS MBBS Student Who 'Solved' Papers Arrested

On Friday, the CBI also apprehended Surabhi Kumari, a first-year MBBS student from Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS). Kumari is alleged to be the fifth member of a 'solver module' that assisted in solving the stolen paper. The investigation revealed that the module was operational on the day of the exam to provide answer keys to certain NEET aspirants.

The arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into widespread irregularities surrounding the NEET-UG 2024 examination, which was held on May 5 at over 4,750 centres across 571 cities, including 14 international locations. More than 23 lakh candidates appeared for the test.