NEET-UG paper leak: CBI arrests four medical students from AIIMS Patna

Patna (Bihar) [India], July 18 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday arrested four medical students from AIIMS Patna in connection with NEET-UG paper leak case.

As per the CBI sources, the four accused, identified as Karan Jain, Kumar Sanu, Rahul Anand and Chandan Singh used to solve papers for the main accused, Pankaj Singh.

All the accused in the case have been sent to four days of CBI custody.

The CBI arrested two more people in connection with the case on July 16. The arrested persons were identified as Pankaj Kumar Singh and Raju Singh. They were arrested in Patna and Hazaribagh, respectively.

A senior CBI official informed that Pankaj managed to steal the question paper when it was shifted from Hazaribagh in a sealed iron trunk.

Pankaj is a civil engineer and completed his bachelor in engineering degree from NIT Jamseshedpur.

Earlier on July 12, Patna High Court granted CBI custody to 13 individuals arrested in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak case.

CBI will undertake their custodial examination and will be able to confront them with the kingpin Rocky, who is also in CBI custody.

Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested accused Rakesh Ranjan, alias Rocky, from Bihar’s Nalanda in connection with the case.

Rakesh Ranjan, who is believed to be one of the key players in the NEET paper leak network, was taken into custody following a planned operation by the CBI.

The development comes on the heels of a series of coordinated raids at multiple locations, including Patna and Kolkata, aimed at dismantling the intricate web of individuals involved in the scandal.

The NEET-UG exam, held on May 5, 2024, has been mired in controversy, with allegations of cheating and impersonation.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the exam, has faced severe criticism, leading to protests and legal actions. The Union Health Ministry has postponed the NEET-PG 2024 examination, with new dates to be announced soon.

The NEET-UG examination, conducted by NTA, is the pathway for admissions into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.

The NEET-UG 2024 was held across 4,750 centres on May 5 and around 24 lakh candidates appeared in it.