The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made significant progress in the NEET-UG paper leak case, arresting a key mastermind and two MBBS students involved in the scandal.
On Saturday, officials confirmed the detention of Kumar Manglam Bishnoi and Deepender Kumar, both students from Bharatpur Medical College, who allegedly acted as "solvers" for the stolen exam paper.
The investigation revealed that Bishnoi, a second-year MBBS student, and Sharma, a first-year medical student, were present in Hazaribagh on the day of the NEET-UG exam. They were allegedly engaged in solving the paper stolen by Pankaj Kumar, a civil engineer who was arrested earlier. Kumar, also known as Aditya, is a 2017 graduate from the National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur (NIT Jamshedpur), and was accused of stealing the exam paper from the National Testing Agency (NTA) trunk in Hazaribagh.
Sashikant Paswan, a B.Tech (Electrical) graduate from NIT Jamshedpur, was also arrested for his involvement in the scheme, working alongside Kumar and another previously detained individual, Rockey.
In addition to these arrests, the CBI took into custody Surabhi Kumari, a first-year MBBS student from Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), after a detailed interrogation over two days. The arrest followed cooperation from RIMS management and further scrutiny by the CBI.
These recent developments come on the heels of the National Testing Agency (NTA) releasing the centre and city-wise results for NEET-UG, following a Supreme Court order. The court is currently addressing several petitions related to alleged irregularities in the exam's conduct, including the ongoing paper leak investigation.
The NEET-UG, which took place on May 5, is a crucial examination for admissions into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses across both government and private institutions. This year, the test was conducted at 4,750 centres across 571 cities, including 14 international locations, with over 23 lakh candidates participating.
