The CBI on Thursday filed its first chargesheet in the alleged NEET-UG 2024 question paper leak case. The chargesheet names 13 people as accused who were allegedly involved in the paper leak and other irregularities.
The accused named in the chargesheet are Nitish Kumar, Amit Anand, Sikander Yadvendu, Ashutosh Kumar, Roshan Kumar, Manish Prakash, Akhilesh Kumar, Avdesh Kumar, Anurag Yadav, Abhishek Kumar, Shivnandan Kumar, and Ayush Raj.
As many as six FIRs were filed by the central probe agency in connection with discrepancies in the conduct of the NEET-UG examination. The case in Bihar pertains to question paper leaks, while the remaining cases from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra involve cheating and impersonation of candidates.
The CBI stated that the agency is continuing its investigation against other accused and suspects, as well as other aspects of the case. A supplementary chargesheet will be filed once the investigation is completed, officials said.
Several other accused are already in police and judicial custody, the CBI added.
The 2024 NEET exam was marred by controversy due to alleged question paper leaks and other discrepancies, including cheating, impersonation and the granting of grace marks, leading to widespread outrage among students and a legal battle. A probe by the Bihar Police and the CBI unearthed a network involved in paper leaks in Patna and Hazaribagh.
So far, the probe agency has arrested 40 accused in this case, including 15 arrested by Bihar Police, and conducted searches at 58 locations.
However, the Supreme Court, on July 15, observed that there was no evidence to conclude that the entire result of NEET-UG 2024 was vitiated or that there was a "systemic breach" in the sanctity of the examination. The top court dismissed the pleas for a re-test on the grounds of paper leaks and other malpractices.
The NEET-UG is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions. Around 24 lakh students attended the examination this year.
