EOU handed over the NEET question paper leak case to the CBI.

Patna, June 24, 2024: After the Central Bureau of Investigation formally took over the NEET question paper leak probe, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police on Monday handed over all documents and evidence related to the case to CBI officials.

The Union Ministry of Education on Saturday had announced that the investigation into the alleged leak would be transferred to the CBI. An FIR has already been registered by the agency based on EOU’s findings. With this, the CBI will now head the probe.

On Monday, two CBI officers visited the EOU headquarters in Patna and held discussions with senior officers. Sources said the EOU submitted its case files, reports and seized material to the visiting CBI team.

The NEET paper leak was first detected by Patna Police on May 5—the day of the examination—and an FIR was lodged at Shastri Nagar police station. The case was then transferred to the EOU on May 15. Now the centre has moved it to the CBI.

EOU has arrested 19 accused:

EOU has so far arrested 19 persons in connection with the racket, including 12 alleged education mafias, 4 candidates and 3 parents. While 13 accused were arrested by Patna Police initially, another 6 were nabbed from Deoghar in Jharkhand on Sunday.

Patna Police had first detained Sikander Yadavendu, Akhilesh and Bittu from Rajvanshi Nagar. During interrogation, they allegedly named other operators and the alleged kingpin behind the leak.

EOU’s probe has indicated that the question paper was leaked from Oasis School in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand. According to sources, a booklet bearing the number 6136488 was circulated on WhatsApp groups of the exam mafia in Patna. The same booklet number had been allotted to Oasis School. Investigators also found tampering marks on the box in which the booklet had reached the school.

The agencies will now seek to establish whether the leak happened between the warehouse and the bank, or between the bank and the examination centre.

Sanjeev Mukhiya is the alleged kingpin of the NEET paper leak case:

According to EOU, the alleged kingpin is Sanjeev Mukhiya, an employee of Nursarai Udyan College in Nalanda. He had allegedly conspired for months to leak the NEET paper.

One professor allegedly forwarded the question paper to him on WhatsApp prior to the exam. Medical students in Patna and Ranchi were allegedly used to prepare the answer set, which was then forwarded to Chintu Kumar alias Baldev of Karaya Parsurai block in Nalanda district.

EOU also claims to have a list of the candidates who were allegedly given the paper in advance and were made to memorize answers.

The CBI is expected to formally take custody of the 19 accused. According to sources, the exam mafia network stretches across at least six states—Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

Also Read: EOU received 95 complaints related to objectionable and misleading posts on social media.

EOM.