NEET-UG paper leak: Key accused arrested by CBI for stealing question paper from NTA trunk

NEET-UG paper leak 2024: The CBI has apprehended two individuals, including a prime suspect, in the NEET-UG paper leak case. They are accused of stealing the paper from a National Testing Agency trunk in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, according to officials on Tuesday.

The agency has arrested Pankaj Kumar, also known as Aditya, a civil engineer from the National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur's 2017 batch. He is accused of stealing the NEET-UG paper from the NTA trunk in Hazaribagh. Kumar, a resident of Bokaro, was apprehended in Patna, according to officials.

The number of arrests linked to cases involving NEET-UG exam leaks, impersonation, and related irregularities has risen to 14 with the latest two apprehensions, officials reported.

The CBI has also arrested one Raju Singh who allegedly helped Kumar in stealing the paper and passing them on to other gang members, they said, adding that Singh was arrested from Hazaribagh.

The investigative agency, which is probing the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam, NEET-UG 2024,, has registered six FIRs.

The FIR from Bihar concerns paper leakage, while cases from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra involve impersonation of candidates and cheating.

The CBI's FIR, initiated at the request of the Union Education Ministry, focuses on conducting a thorough investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding the examination.

The Supreme Court issued notices on Monday to private parties regarding a series of petitions filed by the National Testing Agency (NTA). These petitions seek the transfer of NEET-UG cases currently pending in various high courts to the Supreme Court. The aim is to streamline legal proceedings and prevent multiple litigations on the matter.

More than 23.33 lakh students participated in the test conducted on May 5 across 4,750 centers in 571 cities, including 14 cities abroad.

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.