CBI Files Charge Sheet in NEET Paper Leak Case, Names 13 Accused

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed its first charge sheet in the NEET-UG exam paper leak case, naming 13 accused. The investigation, which is ongoing, has utilized advanced forensic techniques, artificial intelligence, CCTV footage, and mobile tower location analysis to gather evidence.

Details of the Charge Sheet

The CBI’s charge sheet names the following individuals as accused:

• 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
• Ayush Raj

So far, 40 people have been arrested, including the alleged mastermind from a Hazaribagh school and several MBBS students who acted as solvers and facilitators.

Investigation Background

The CBI initiated the probe on June 23 after a reference from the Union Ministry of Education highlighted irregularities, cheating, impersonation, and other malpractices in the NEET-UG exam. Special teams were formed to investigate the leaks in different states, leading to raids at 58 locations over 39 days.

A CBI spokesperson stated that the agency is continuing further investigations against other suspects and on various aspects of the case. Supplementary charge sheets will be filed as the investigation progresses.

Supreme Court Involvement

Last month, the Supreme Court directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Central Government to submit affidavits detailing their actions and requested a status report from the CBI. The Court acknowledged the compromise in the NEET-UG exam due to the paper leak and asked the NTA to outline measures taken to identify beneficiaries of the leak.

Government’s Position

In its affidavit, the Union Government argued against re-conducting the exam, stating that there was no large-scale breach of confidentiality and that a re-exam would disrupt the academic calendar. The Government also noted the lack of widespread evidence of malpractice.

Examination Controversy

The 2024 NEET-UG exam, conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centers in 571 cities (including 14 abroad) with 2.3 million candidates, has faced multiple allegations of question paper leaks, inflated marking, and arbitrary allowance of grace marks. The results, declared on June 4, raised further suspicions when 67 candidates achieved perfect scores of 720, with several belonging to the same examination center. Following the controversy, the Union Government replaced the head of the NTA.

The investigation continues, aiming to ensure accountability and transparency in the examination process.