CBI Chargesheet Uncovers NEET-UG 2024 Paper Leak Scam Involving 144 Candidates and Key Conspirators

As per the chargesheet, the crime allegedly took place on May 5, 2024, after the exam papers were delivered from a bank vault to Oasis School. Read Details here…

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has identified 144 candidates who allegedly paid large sums of money to gain access to leaked and solved NEET-UG 2024 exam papers just hours before the test was held. The agency has filed its third chargesheet, naming several individuals involved in the scam, including a civil engineering graduate from the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jamshedpur, and staff from Oasis School, Hazaribagh.

NEET-UG 2024 Paper Leak: Key Figures and Timeline

The CBI filed its latest chargesheet last week, identifying Pankaj Kumar, a 2017 batch NIT Jamshedpur graduate, as a prime suspect in the case. Kumar is accused of stealing the question papers from Oasis School in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, in collusion with the school's Principal Ahsanul Haque and Vice-Principal Md Imtiyaz Alam. Haque and Alam were appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as the city coordinator and centre superintendent, respectively, for the NEET-UG 2024 exam.

The crime allegedly took place on May 5, 2024, after the exam papers were delivered from a bank vault to Oasis School. According to the CBI, the school officials allowed Kumar to enter the secure room where the exam papers were stored. He tampered with the trunk's hinges, removed a question paper, photographed its contents, resealed the trunk, and left the premises unnoticed.

144 Candidates Paid for Access to Solved Papers

The CBI’s investigation uncovered that 144 candidates were involved in the scam, having paid significant sums for access to the solved papers. These candidates reportedly gathered at predetermined locations where the solved question papers were distributed. Only those who had paid in advance were allowed to participate. After receiving the solved papers, candidates were sent to their exam centres without carrying the copies of the answers.

The CBI has recovered 21 mobile phones used by the main accused from various water bodies, with the help of divers. The half-burnt question paper pieces seized at Learn Play School in Patna provided crucial evidence that led investigators to the Oasis School in Hazaribagh.

49 Arrests So Far, 40 Charged

So far, 49 individuals have been arrested in connection with the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak. Among them are the key conspirators, including Pankaj Kumar and others involved in solving the exam. The CBI has filed three chargesheets, naming 40 accused, and further investigations are ongoing.

In addition to Kumar, the CBI chargesheet also names Haque, Alam, and individuals involved in the distribution of solved papers, including MBBS students who were part of the solver gang. The solvers were responsible for cracking the exam in stages—Botany-Zoology, Chemistry, and Physics—before distributing the answers to candidates.

NEET-UG 2024 Counselling Amid Legal and Ethical Challenges

Despite the ongoing investigations into the paper leak, NEET-UG 2024 counselling is progressing across various states, with students vying for medical college admissions. The scandal has raised significant concerns about the fairness of the examination process, particularly in the context of thousands of candidates who took the exam in good faith.

The Supreme Court, in an August 2024 ruling, declined to cancel the exam, despite widespread allegations of irregularities. However, the court did emphasize the need for reforms in the examination system to prevent future breaches. While legal proceedings continue, counselling remains unaffected, though questions of integrity loom large over the NEET-UG 2024 process.

Further Investigation and Legal Action

The CBI has initiated legal proceedings against the 144 candidates involved, and more arrests are expected as investigations continue. The charges against the accused include criminal conspiracy, theft, cheating, and corruption under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

With the probe still active, authorities aim to ensure that such breaches are not repeated in future editions of NEET, a crucial gateway to medical education in India.