NEET-UG Paper Leak Case: How A Half-Burnt Question Papers Led CBI To Masterminds. READ

A leaked NEET-UG 2024 question paper barcode helped the CBI identify the masterminds of the paper-leak conspiracy.

A half-burnt scrap of a printout from a leaked NEET-UG 2024 question paper--with its unique bar code still intact--that was recovered from a hostel in Patna, helped to unravel the conspiracy and modus operandi of a gang involved in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test  (NEET) paper leak, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said.

In a statement issued on its probe in the NEET paper leak case so far, CBI said that NEET paper leak case '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 and it was solved and sent to candidates who had hire his services.

According to the probe agency, Kumar, one of the alleged masterminds, acted in connivance with Oasis School Principal Ehsanul Haque, also the NTA City Coordinator, and Vice Principal Imtiaz Alam, who was the Centre Superintendent. "All three have been arrested by the agency," it said.

As per the statement, the trunks containing the NEET UG 2024 question papers were brought to the school and kept in the control room on the morning of May 5, 2024.

"Minutes after the trunks arrived, the Principal and Vice Principal (of Hazaribagh school) unauthorisedly and illegally allowed access to the room where the trunks were kept, to mastermind (Kumar). The sophisticated tools used to open the trunk and access the question papers from the trunk have been seized," a PTI report quoted a CBI spokesperson as saying. 

As per the probe agency, the paper was solved at Hazaribagh on the morning of the examination by a set of solvers who are studying MBBS courses at AIIMS Patna, RIMS Ranchi, and a Medical College in Bharatpur. CBI has arrested seven alleged solvers.     

"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 were arrested. These solvers were specially brought to Hazaribagh as part of the conspiracy," the CBI spokesperson said.

Other mastermind gang members, who acted with Kumar, have also been identified and some of them have also been arrested.

"This group was actively assisted by a set of accused persons who arranged places for housing the candidates, another set of accused were involved in mobilising and ferrying the candidates. The candidates who gained access to the solved question paper are being traced and necessary action is being taken," the CBI has said.

The agency has so far arrested 36 persons in connection with the case. 

In a major setback to unsuccessful aspirants of NEET-UG 2024, the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the pleas seeking cancellation and re-test of the controversy-ridden exam, holding that there was no evidence on record to conclude that it was vitiated on account of systemic breach of its sanctity.

The court, however, said the fact that the leak of question paper indeed took place in Hazaribagh and Patna is not in dispute, and referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation's status report to say that 155 students drawn from the exam centres at Hazaribagh and Patna appeared to be the beneficiaries of the fraud. 

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