The Central Bureau of Investigation revealed the involvement of the principal and vice principal in the exam misconduct
NEET UG 2024: The allegations of Neet Paper Leak on May 5, 2024. The prestigious NEET UG 2024 was held on May 5 and nearly 25 lakh aspiring students attended this exam.
Apparently, the Neet exam paper was leaked a day before the exam was in Patna, Bihar and just 45 minutes before the exam paper was solved and distributed. A similar thing happened in the Oasis Public School of Hazaribagh as well. The silvers and conspirators were arrested by the CBI.
In the latest hearing of this case held three days ago, on 23 July, the Supreme Court of India ruled a retest for NEET UG 2024, on the grounds of absence of evidence. The Supreme Court established that there was no denying that a paper leak occurred, but there is no indication that it was widespread enough to affect the exam as a whole. Therefore, a retest was ruled as not necessary and the examination was upheld. Chief Justice of India, C Y Chandrachud stated, that ordering a fresh retest would have significant repercussions affecting over 24 lakh students who appeared in the exam.
On the 25th of July, two days after this court hearing the CBI revealed the sequence of events in which the wrongdoings against the examination occurred. The Central Bureau of Investigation mentioned the involvement of the principal and vice principal in this misconduct. CBI said the principal of the Oasis School, Hazaribagh, Ehsanul Haque and the Vice Principal Imitiaz Alam were aware of and in understanding with Pankaj Kumar’s schemes. Pankaj Kumar is a Bokaro-based civil engineer and the alleged mastermind of the NEET UG BIHAR paper leak.
According to CBI, the events of the Neet Paper Leak 2024 took place as follows:
- On the morning of May 5, the trunks containing the NEET UG 2024 question papers were brought to the school premises and kept in the control room.
- Upon the arrival of the trunks, Ehsanul Haque and Imtiaz Alam granted Pankaj Kumar unauthorized and illegal access to the control room.
- Once inside the room, Pankaj Kumar used advanced tools to open the trunks and retrieve the question papers.
- The question paper was then provided to a set of solvers who are studying MBBS courses at AIIMS Patna, RIIMS Ranchi and a Medical College in Bharatpur.
- The question paper was solved on the morning of the examination.
- These solved papers were shared with certain selected students who had paid money to Pankaj Kumar.
- The solvers involved are all MBBS students from reputed colleges and have been identified. Seven of the alleged solvers have been arrested while the remaining are also being tracked down by the police.
- These solvers were specifically brought to Hazaribagh for the sole purpose of executing this scam.
- The CBI spokespersons further added that the students who paid Pankaj and the team and gained access to the question paper are also being traced. Once arrested, the necessary action against them will be taken.
- So far the CBI has arrested 36 people connected to this paper leak.