NEET-UG Paper Leak: CBI Arrests Two More in Patna, Total Arrests Reach 27

In a significant development in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2024 paper leak case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two more individuals in Patna, taking the total number of arrests to 27. The latest arrests include Sunny Kumar, a candidate from Nalanda, and Ranjit Kumar, the father of another candidate from Gaya.

Sunny Kumar, the fifth person to be arrested from Nalanda by the CBI, is believed to be linked to the “solver gang” that was involved in the leak. The gang members, including Panku Kumar, Paramjit Singh alias Bittu, Rajeev Kumar alias Karu, and Baldev Kumar alias Chintu, were earlier arrested by the CBI. However, Sanjeev Mukhiya, considered the kingpin of the inter-State gang, and his relative Rocky alias Rajesh Ranjan, both from Nalanda, are still at large.

In a separate operation, a CBI team searched the residence of Shivnandan Kumar, a NEET-UG candidate who is already in jail. The team, comprising seven members, arrived at Haraiya village under Barachatti police station limits in Gaya to collect evidence for the ongoing investigation. After questioning Shivnandan Kumar for seven hours, they detained his uncle, Niranjan Yadav, for a few hours. The CBI was also searching for Shivnandan Kumar’s father, Ramswaroop Yadav alias Sadhu Yadav, but was unable to locate him. Other family members were also questioned during the investigation.

Shivnandan Kumar’s involvement in the leak was revealed through a confessional statement by Sikandar Prasad Yadavendu, a junior engineer in the Danapur Municipal Corporation. According to the statement, Shivnandan Kumar had struck a deal to pay ₹40 lakh for the arrangement and had paid half the amount the day before the exam. The four candidates who were given the leaked question paper later confessed that the paper they studied was the same one given to them during the exam on May 5.

The CBI had earlier arrested Hazaribagh Oasis School principal Ahsanul Haque, Vice Principal Imtiaz Alam, and Hindi newspaper journalist Jamaluddin, who allegedly assisted them on the day of the examination. The Bihar Economic Offences Unit (EOU) had seized a partially burnt question paper from the play school in Patna, which matched with the question paper received from the National Testing Agency (NTA). The series of the question paper was sent to the examination centre at the Oasis School, Hazaribagh.

The CBI is investigating the chain of custody of the question papers and has recorded statements from several individuals at exam centres in other States. An in-depth investigation is being conducted to determine when exactly the leak or breach took place.