NEET-UG paper leak: CBI makes first arrests, two persons held from Patna in Bihar

NEET-UG paper leak case: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested two people in connection with its probe into NEET-UG paper leak, making first arrests in the case.

The accused – Manish Kumar and Ashutosh Kumar – were held in Patna, Bihar. The central agency has registered six FIRs in the NEET paper leak case.

According to PTI, quoting officials, both the accused allegedly provided safe premises to the aspirants before the examination, where they were given leaked papers and answer keys.

The accused have been produced in court for further police custody.

The CBI formed special teams to investigate the case after the government decided to entrust the matter to the central agency for a comprehensive investigation amid ongoing uproar over grace marks to students and 67 students getting perfect 720 marks. The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the exams, cancelled the grace marks given to 1,563 students and conducted a re-test for them on June 23. Of the 1,563 students, only 52 per cent students attempted the re-exam.

"National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the NEET (UG) Examination on May 5, 2024, in OMR (pen and paper) mode. Certain alleged irregularities, cheating, impersonation, and malpractices have been reported. For transparency on the conduct of the examination process, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, after a review, has decided to entrust the matter to the CBI for a comprehensive investigation," the government said.

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