NEET UG-2024 paper leak case: CBI files third chargesheet against 21 accused

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday filed the third chargesheet in the NEET paper theft case in Patna, before the Special Judge Court for CBI, Patna.

This chargesheet names 21 accused individuals. They are charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the central agency said in a statement.

The investigation revealed that the NEET UG 2024 question paper was stolen from the control room of OASIS School in Hazaribagh on May 5. The theft occurred after the trunks containing the question papers arrived from the bank vault.

This Chargesheet consists of more than 5500 pages wherein CBI has cited 298 witnesses, 290 documents and 45 material objects.

The investigation revealed that the NEET UG 2024 question paper was stolen from the control room of OASIS School, Hazaribagh on the morning of May 5 after the trunks reached the school from the Bank Vault after 8 am.

According to the CBI, accused Pankaj Kumar was allowed entry into the control room by the school's Principal, Ahsanul Haque, and Vice Principal, Imtiyaz Alam.

"The accused Pankaj Kumar was clandestinely allowed entry into the control room by Ahsanul Haque, the Principal, and Imtiyaz Alam, the Vice Principal of the school as part of the conspiracy. Pankaj Kumar tampered with the hinges of the trunk containing the question papers, removed one question paper, photographed all its pages, replaced back the paper and resealed the trunk, and exited the control room," the CBI stated.

After leaving the school, Pankaj handed the photographs of the question paper to his accomplice, Surendra Kumar Sharma, at Raj Guest House in Hazaribagh. The stolen question papers were printed and given to a group of MBBS students--Karan Jain, Kumar Shanu, Rahul Anand, Chandan Singh, Surbhi Kumari, Deependra Sharma, Raunak Raj, Sandeep Kumar, and Amit Kumar--who solved the paper.

Following this, the solved question papers were then distributed to the candidates present at the Raj Guest House, Hazaribagh. Further, the solved question paper was scanned and sent digitally to predetermined locations where the members of the accused gang received them.

Only those who paid in advance could enter these locations. After their exams, the candidates were prohibited from taking any printed copies with them. The CBI found half-burnt pieces of the question paper at Learn Play School, Patna, which led them to OASIS School, the CBI added in the release.

So far, 49 individuals have been arrested, including key conspirators and solvers, and three chargesheets have been filed against 40 accused.

Further investigation is underway to identify more involved parties.

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