CBI files third chargesheet in the NEET UG-2024 paper leak case against 21 accused

With the latest development, the total number of accused chargesheeted in the case is now 40

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday (October 5, 2024) filed a third chargesheet against 21 accused in connection with the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2024 question paper theft case, before the Special Court for CBI cases in Patna.

Earlier on September 20, the CBI had filed a chargesheet against six accused in the case. With the latest development, the total number of accused chargesheeted in the case is now 40 as the CBI had earlier filed the first chargesheet against 13 accused on August 1, 2024.

According to sources in the CBI, Pankaj Kumar alias Aditya, a resident of Bokaro and a civil engineer arrested on charges of stealing the NEET UG question paper from the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) trunk in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh, has been identified as one of the key accused. He was with a man named Raju Singh, who helped him in stealing the paper.

On July 16, the CBI had sealed the Raj Guest House at Ramnagar locality under the Katkamdag police station limits when Pankaj and Raju Singh were arrested.

The CBI has been investigating the theft and leakage of NEET UG 2024 question paper since June 23, 2024, subsequent to taking over of the Case No. 358/2024, dated 05.05.2024, registered under Sections 407/408/409/120(B) of the IPC, at the Shastrinagar police station (Patna), Bihar.

The six accused in the second chargesheet were Baldev Kumar alias Chintu, Sunny Kumar, Dr. Ahsanul Haque (Principal, Oasis School, Hazaribagh, and NTA city coordinator of Hazaribagh), Mohammad Imtiyaz Alam (Vice-principal, Oasis School, and test centre superintendent), Jamaluddin alias Jamal (Reporter of a Hindi newspaper, Hazaribagh) and Aman Kumar Singh.

Investigation had revealed that the question paper was illicitly accessed from the Oasis School in the morning on May 5, 2024 by Pankaj Kumar in connivance with the Hazaribagh NTA city coordinator who was also the principal of Oasis School, the test centre superintendent who was also the vice-principal of the school, and another associate from Hazaribagh.

Earlier, the CBI had revealed that the trunks containing the NEET UG 2024 question papers were brought to the school and kept in the control room in the morning on May 5, 2024. Minutes after the trunks arrived, the principal and the vice-principal unauthorisedly and illegally allowed the mastermind access the room where the trunks had been kept. The sophisticated tools used to open the trunk and access the question papers were also seized by the Central agency.

The investigation had revealed that Dr. Ahsanul Haque, the principal of Oasis School, in his capacity as NTA city coordinator for the NEET exam, along with Md. Imtiyaz Alam, the vice-principal of the school and the test centre superintendent, conspired with other accused to steal the question paper.

Published - October 05, 2024 11:42 pm IST