CBI arrests man who stole NEET-UG paper from NTA's trunk

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested two people for allegedly stealing the NEET-UG question papers.

One of those arrested had stolen the NEET-UG paper from the National Testing Agency's trunk.

The CBI arrested Pankaj from Patna and Rajkumar Singh alias Raju from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand. Pankaj is accused of stealing the NEET paper.

Earlier this month, the CBI arrested the main accused, Rakesh Ranjan alias Rocky, from Bihar's Nalanda.

Rakesh Ranjan is believed to be one of the key players in the NEET paper leak. The CBI set a trap and conducted raids at four locations in Patna and Kolkata to arrest Ranjan.

Also read: NEET UG 2024: Supreme Court seeks NTA disclosure on paper leak, next hearing on July 11

The agency has so far arrested over a dozen people to unravel the the conspiracy that triggered a massive political storm.

The CBI has been utilising advanced investigative techniques to track down and apprehend those involved.

"Ranjan was located and identified through a detailed analysis of digital footprints, including IP addresses and email communications, underscoring the agency's dedication to employing cutting-edge technology in its efforts to combat corruption and fraud," an official had told ANI.

The NEET-UG exam, held on May 5, 2024, was marred with allegations of cheating and paper leaks. There were discrepancies in the evaluation process as well, as 67 aspirants scored full 720 marks.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the exam, faced severe criticism. The government removed the NTA chief and formed a panel to review and improve its functioning.

Also read: Dharmendra Pradhan meets NEET aspirants, assures necessary measures

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.

Over 23.33 lakh students had taken the test on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including in 14 cities overseas.

With inputs from PTI, ANI