Despite Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan denying any evidence of a National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) paper leak, investigations by the Bihar Police and its Economic Offences Unit (EOU) suggested otherwise.
Pradhan also dismissed allegations of corruption within the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the exam. Reports have now revealed that NTA delayed EOU’s investigations by withholding requested information for about a month.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi demanded answers from the education minister who has been denying any foul play in NEET-UG exam. “Will the Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan continue to deny paper leak in the #NEET Exam? Instead of promising transparency they continue to obfuscate and jeopardise the careers of lakhs of our youth. Imagine the mental harassment these children are subjected to despite putting in their best efforts to achieve their career goals,” the Rajya Sabha MP posted on X (formerly Twitter) along with report by the Indian Express.
A day before, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the ruling government, alleging misuse of the NTA and claiming that the government manipulated marks and ranks, resulting in an increased cut-off for reserved seats.
“If according to the Modi government, no paper was leaked in NEET, then why were these arrests made? What conclusion is drawn from this? Was the Modi government trying to fool the people of the country earlier or now? The Modi government has crushed the aspirations of 24 lakh youth.24 lakh youth appear in NEET exam to become doctors, in which they work hard day and night for 1 lakh medical seats,” Kharge wrote on X.
The EOU arrested 13 individuals after forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged malpractices. According to Bihar EOU officials, preliminary investigations suggest that each involved student paid between Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh. While four students were arrested on the exam day, nine others identified through raids have been summoned for questioning.
As of now, Bihar Police have identified 35 students involved, with investigations underway for 13, while 22 others remain unidentified.
The EOU started investigating the case on May 17 and constituted a nine-member SIT. According to EOU findings, the perpetrators picked up candidates a day before the exam, housed them in a Patna boys’ hostel, retained their original documents, and coached them on the exam questions and answers.
The next day, the candidates were taken to their respective examination centers to write the papers, an EOU officer explained. Four of these candidates have already been apprehended. They informed investigators that the NEET-UG questions corresponded exactly to those they had been instructed to memorise.
Raids were carried out at Learn Boys Hostel in Khemnichak, located on the outskirts of Patna, where the examinees were kept. Among the items seized from the hostel premises was a NEET-UG booklet bearing the serial number 6136488. According to statements from the arrested candidates, approximately 30 examinees had stayed there.
The individuals detained by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) include Sikandar Yadvendu, Akhilesh Kumar, and Nitish Kumar. They were earlier arrested in connection with other paper leaks, including one related to teacher recruitment in Bihar, but had been out on bail.
In mid-May, EOU officials approached the NTA seeking information on the custody chain of the question papers, including their printing, transportation, distribution, and involved individuals and agencies. Despite multiple requests, the NTA did not provide any information until an email response was received just two days ago. The alleged lack of cooperation from NTA hindered the investigation, officials said.
An FIR filed at the Shastrinagar police station in Patna on the day of the NEET-UG exam mentioned intelligence reports indicating the movement of suspects involved in compromising the exam. These suspects were reportedly seen around the exam centers in a vehicle.
Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted the vehicle and arrested three individuals. Among the items recovered were photocopies of four examinees’ admit cards and several mobile phones. Ayush Raj, one of the candidates, was picked up from his exam center at DAV Public School BSEB, Punaichak. Ayush allegedly confessed to police that the questions he had memorised were identical to those in the exam, The Telegraph reported.
