NEET-UG 2024: CBI files second chargesheet in paper leak case, names school authorities

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday, September 20, filed its second chargesheet in the NEET-UG 2024 document leak case, incriminating the principal and vice-principal of Oasis School in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. The CBI has accused principal Ahsanul Haque and his deputy principal Mohd Imtiyaz Alam of colluding with others to steal the exam papers, which were allegedly accessed hours before the test.

The chargesheet, filed before a special court in Patna, names Haque, Alam and four others, including Aman Kumar Singh, Baldev Kumar, Sunny Kumar and local journalist Jamaluddin, as charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, breach of trust and theft under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. Haque and Alam also face charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to CBI officials, the duo, who were arrested by the National Testing Agency (NTA)On the morning of May 5, he gained unauthorized access to the examination papers kept in sealed chests at the school.

Pankaj Kumar, who is believed to be one of the masterminds behind the paper leak, is said to have opened the suitcases using sophisticated tools to access the papers, which were then decoded by a group of MBBS students from leading medical institutions.

The solved question papers were distributed to selected candidates who had paid in advance for the answers. The CBI has already arrested seven ‘solvers’ involved in decrypting the papers and the equipment used to access the suitcases has been seized. The agency also said that it has identified the students who benefited from the leaked papers and has shared this information with the NTA for appropriate action.

This is the second indictment in this case.after the first one submitted on 1 Augustin which 13 accused were named. So far, the CBI has arrested 48 people in connection with the paper leak and is still looking for others involved in the conspiracy.

The CBI claims that Haque and Alam Pankaj gave Kumar access to the control room where the suitcases containing the exam questions were kept. Kumar, working with other gang members, opened the suitcase and distributed the questions to be solved. The MBBS students, who were brought to Hazaribagh for the operation, quickly solved the questions and gave the answers to paying candidates.

The NEET-UG exam, a major test for medical admissions in India, was held on May 5 at thousands of centers in 571 cities. Over 2.3 million students took part in it. The paper leak has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the exam process and the CBI has said it will continue its investigation.

In a separate but related development, the Supreme Court has questioned last-minute changes in the exam pattern for NEET-PG 2024. The court has sought explanations from the National Board of Education (NBE) and the central government as students have expressed apprehensions over discrepancies in results and lack of transparency in the selection process.

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