First Arrests Made By CBI In NEET-UG Paper Leak Case, Two Detained From Patna

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made its first arrests in the NEET-UG paper leak scandal in Bihar.

The central agency, which recently took over the probe into the NEET case, has arrested two individuals from Patna, identified as Manish Kumar and Ashutosh.

Manish Kumar was reportedly involved in transporting students using his car and allegedly arranged for an unused school where around two dozen students were provided with the leaked exam paper to memorise it.

Ashutosh reportedly provided accommodation for the students at his home.

The arrests took place after the two were called in for questioning by the agency on Thursday (27 June), NDTV reported.

The CBI has filed six First Information Reports (FIRs) in connection with the NEET paper leak case, with the first registered on Sunday following the Ministry of Education's decision to transfer the investigation to the central agency.

Before the CBI's action, police had detained several individuals in Bihar, Maharashtra, and Delhi, including an exam candidate who said he and a few others had got a copy of the question paper a day before the exam.  

Around 24 lakh students sat for the NEET-UG 2024 exam, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), for medical courses on 5 May.

The results of the exam were declared on 4 June, ten days earlier than scheduled.

However, aallegations of question paper leaks and grace marks to over 1,500 students triggered protests.

Several petitions were also filed in courts, including the Supreme Court, which has rapped the NTA over the issue.

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