NEET Row: CBI Makes First Arrests In Paper Leak Case; 2 Nabbed From Patna

Pic courtesy ANI

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday made its first arrests in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case when a team of officials nabbed two accused persons from Patna.

Identified as Manish Kumar and Ashutosh Kumar, the duo was presented before a court after being taken into custody.

Manish and Ashutosh allegedly provided safe premises to some of the NEET candidates before the exam and given leaked papers and answer keys, PTI reported.

Six FIRs have been filed so far by the CBI in the NEET paper leak case since the Union Ministry of Education handed over the case to the central probe agency on June 22 following nationwide stir and protests over irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 exam.

Also Read: NEET Row: Supreme Court Notice To NTA Over Alleged ‘Inconsistent’ Marks Calculation

On Wednesday, CBI officials visited a school in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh and interrogated the principal and other staff.

Over 23 lakh candidates appeared for the NEET-UG 2024 entrance exam on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 outside India. After results were announced on June 4, concerns were raised regarding inflated marking and paper leaks in certain areas.

This year’s medical college entrance exam saw an unprecedented 67 toppers, all of whom scored a perfect 720/720. To put things in perspective, NEET-UG 2023 had two toppers, while in 2022 there was a single topper.