The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed its first charge sheet in the NEET-UG exam paper leak case, naming 13 individuals as accused. This development marks a significant step in the ongoing investigation into the widespread examination malpractice.
The CBI announced that it has utilized advanced forensic techniques, artificial intelligence, CCTV footage, and mobile tower location analysis to gather evidence against the accused. The investigation has so far led to the arrest of 40 individuals, including the alleged mastermind of the leak from a Hazaribagh school, several MBBS students involved in cheating, and various facilitators.
Among those named in the charge sheet are Nitish Kumar, Amit Anand, Sikander Yadvendu, Ashutosh Kumar-1, Roshan Kumar, Manish Prakash, Ashutosh Kumar-2, Akhilesh Kumar, Avdesh Kumar, Anurag Yadav, Abhishek Kumar, Shivnandan Kumar, and Ayush Raj. The CBI’s probe, initiated on June 23 following a reference from the Union Ministry of Education, has involved raids at 58 locations across different states over the past 39 days.
A CBI spokesperson highlighted the use of cutting-edge technology in the investigation, stating, “CBI has utilized advanced forensic techniques, artificial intelligence technology, CCTV footage, tower location analysis, etc. to gather evidence against the accused.” The agency noted that further investigation is ongoing, and additional supplementary charge sheets may be filed as more information comes to light.
The Supreme Court, addressing the NEET-UG paper leak scandal, has instructed the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Central Government to submit affidavits detailing their actions and to provide a status report from the CBI. The court has acknowledged the compromise in the examination due to the leak and directed the NTA to outline measures taken to identify those benefiting from the malpractice.
In response to the allegations, the Union Government has argued that there was no large-scale breach of confidentiality in the exam and opposed re-conducting the test. The government has cited potential disruptions to the academic calendar and a lack of widespread evidence of malpractice as reasons for not repeating the examination.
The NEET-UG, administered by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, and related undergraduate courses, was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centres across 571 cities, including 14 abroad. With 2.3 million candidates participating, the exam results, announced on June 4, raised suspicions when 67 candidates achieved perfect scores of 720, with several from the same examination centre. The controversy has led to the replacement of the NTA head amid mounting criticism.
Sources By Agencies
