June 27th 2024.
In a recent development, the CBI has made its first arrests in the NEET-UG paper leak case. Two individuals, Manish Kumar and Ashutosh Kumar, were taken into custody in Patna while three candidates in Gujarat who had allegedly received assistance to clear the exam, recorded their statements with the probe agency. These arrests have shed light on the corrupt practices that have been taking place in the name of medical entrance examinations.
According to officials, Manish and Ashutosh were responsible for providing accommodation to the aspiring medical students and supplying them with leaked question papers and answer keys before the exam. They were produced before a special court in Patna and have been sent to judicial custody. The CBI will now seek their remand to further investigate the matter.
It has been revealed that Ashutosh Kumar had rented a hostel in Patna called 'Learn Boys Hostel and Play School'. During a raid conducted by the Economic Offence Unit of Bihar Police, half-burnt question papers of NEET were found at this hostel. The CBI has found evidence that Ashutosh was aware of the illegal activities taking place at his premises.
Similarly, Manish Kumar was involved in striking deals with candidates who were willing to pay for leaked question papers. He would then bring these candidates to the hostel where the papers and answer keys were provided to them. The aspiring students would stay at the hostel and prepare for the exam, which was held on May 5.
Meanwhile, the CBI has also taken action in Gujarat, where three candidates who had paid an accused to help them clear the exam, have recorded their statements. The probe agency has approached a special court in Godhra, seeking remand of five accused who were previously arrested by the Gujarat police in connection with the paper leak case. The matter is expected to be heard on Friday.
The racket was uncovered after the Panchmahal district collector received a tip-off about malpractices linked to the NEET exam. Due to this timely information, authorities were able to prevent any malpractices at the exam centre and it was conducted without any issues. In addition to recording the statements of the three candidates, the CBI also questioned their parents and Dixit Patel, the owner of Jay Jalaram School, which was one of the centres for the NEET exam.
The CBI teams also visited Patel's two schools, Jay Jalaram International School and Jay Jalaram School. The physics teacher of Jay Jalaram School, Tushar Bhatt, along with principal Parshottam Sharma, education consultant Parsuram Roy, his aide Vibhor Anand, and alleged middleman Arif Vohra were previously arrested by the police.
The CBI has taken over six FIRs in the NEET-UG paper leak case, including one referred by the Union Education Ministry and five from different states. The agency has taken over one case each in Bihar and Gujarat and three cases in Rajasthan. NEET-UG is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency for admissions to medical and dental courses in government and private institutions across the country.
The first FIR by the CBI was registered on Sunday, following the announcement by the ministry to hand over the probe to the central agency. This decision was made after demands for a CBI probe were raised by a group of protesting students. This year, over 23 lakh candidates appeared for the exam at various centres in India and abroad. The CBI's actions have revealed the rampant corruption in the education system and it is hoped that the culprits will be brought to justice.
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