NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested two individuals from Patna, Bihar, in connection with alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam.
A senior CBI official confirmed the arrest of Manish Prakash and Ashutosh, who were operating from Patna.
According to the CBI, Ashutosh arranged safe house premises for students, while Manish transported candidates to a school to “prepare” them for the exam. “Manish Prakash transported the students in his car, while the students were accommodated in Ashutosh’s house,” the CBI officer explained. These are the first arrests made by the CBI in the NEET paper leak case. Both accused were produced in court.
CBI Took Charge
On Monday, the CBI took over the NEET (UG) paper leak case reported in Patna (Bihar), another cheating case in Godhra (Gujarat), and three alleged impersonations in the examination in Rajasthan.
Earlier today, addressing the irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, President Droupadi Murmu stated that the government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent paper leak incidents and to imposing stringent punishment on the guilty.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the NEET-UG examination, is facing criticism over alleged irregularities, prompting protests across the country. Demonstrators and political parties have demanded the disbanding of the NTA.
Hearing in Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Thursday sought a response from the NTA regarding a petition alleging “inconsistent” calculation of marks on the OMR sheets used for the NEET-UG 2024 exam. A vacation bench comprising Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti issued a notice and requested the NTA to respond by July 8, the date of the next hearing.
A bunch of petitions have been filed in the apex court seeking directives to recall the NEET-UG 2024 results and to conduct the examination afresh, citing paper leakage and malpractices in the test held on May 5. The apex court has already refused to stay the counselling process for NEET-UG 2024.
The NEET-UG examination, conducted by the NTA, is the pathway for admissions into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.