The apprehension by Patna Police encompasses 14 individuals associated with an alleged compromise in the integrity of NEET-UG 2024 examination, held in the recent past.
Amidst the detained, certain individuals purportedly undertook the examination on behalf of legitimate candidates, whereas a multitude purportedly gained access to question papers prior to the examination. A First Information Report has been lodged in this regard at Shastri Nagar police station.
As per police accounts, an alleged syndicate involved in the paper leak purportedly extorted Rs 20 lakh from numerous candidates, subsequently accommodating them in Patna lodges where they were furnished with question papers ostensibly belonging to NEET-UG for the purpose of rote memorization. The police received intelligence a day before the examination and conducted raids on several lodges in the city on Monday morning. Incriminating question papers were discovered in some of these lodges.
SSP Rajeev Mishra stated, “Inquiries are ongoing, therefore we are unable to ascertain definitively whether the paper has indeed been leaked. Numerous identities have come to light, and individuals standing in for others during the examination have also been apprehended.”
Despite the National Testing Agency’s assertion that question papers were only permitted to leave the examination premises after the conclusion of the examination at 5:20 pm, certain students purportedly disseminated it online before 4:00 pm.
“More than 50 individuals from various corners of the nation have been detained on charges of misconduct in NEET-UG 2024. Among the implicated are numerous medical students. The central investigative body has been entrusted with the task of probing the matter,” stated Sadhna Parashar, director, NTA. The detained individuals were apprehended from diverse locales in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan.
Police indicated that four of the suspects, including Sikandar Yadav, who was already incarcerated in a distinct paper leak case, were found in possession of NEET-UG question papers. These individuals had recruited experts to stand in for legitimate candidates at numerous centers in Patna. The gang purportedly remunerated these experts Rs 5 lakh each.
Seven suspects were intercepted in Ranchi during biometric authentication. A bogus candidate by the name of Sonu Kumar Singh had arrived to take the examination in lieu of a student named Abhishek Raj. Sonu is a medical student at NMCH, Patna.
On the day of the examination, it was administered across 571 municipalities in India and 14 municipalities overseas, with a total of 23,818,33 candidates participating this time around.