NEET Paper Leak Case: One mastermind, medical students who acted as solvers arrested

New Delhi: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a B.Tech graduate from NIT-Jamshedpur and two MBBS students in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak case, officials said on Saturday. These arrests bring the total number of detainees in six related cases to 21.

Mastermind and "Solvers" detained

The CBI identified the arrested mastermind as Sashikant Paswan, alias Sashi alias Pasu, a B.Tech (Electrical) graduate from the National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur. Alongside Paswan, the agency apprehended Kumar Mangalam Bishnoi (a second-year MBBS student) and Deepender Sharma (a first-year MBBS student) from a medical school in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. These two medical students allegedly solved exam papers for money.

Modus operandi of the solvers

On May 5, the day the NEET-UG exam was conducted nationwide, Bishnoi and Sharma were in Hazaribagh, where the exam papers were stolen. They were part of a "solver module" that provided answers to NEET aspirants. So far, five MBBS students involved in this module have been arrested.

Case transferred to CBI

The paper leak case was initially handled by the Bihar Police but was later transferred to the CBI. The agency has been actively pursuing leads and has arrested several key individuals, including Pankaj Kumar, the engineer who stole the papers, and Raju Singh, who assisted him. Another mastermind, Rockey, and an accomplice, Surender Sharma, have also been detained.

Nature of the allegations

The CBI has filed six FIRs related to the NEET-UG 2024 irregularities. One FIR from Bihar addresses the paper leak, while the others from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra pertain to candidate impersonation and cheating. The central agency is conducting a thorough investigation based on a reference from the Union Education Ministry.

About NEET-UG 2024

The NEET-UG exam, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), is crucial for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions. This year's exam, held on May 5, saw participation from over 23 lakh candidates across 4,750 centers in 571 cities, including 14 international locations.