CBI Arrests Alleged Kingpin in NEET Paper Leak Case; Probe Widens to Bihar and West Bengal

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made a significant breakthrough in the NEET paper leak case by arresting Rakesh Ranjan, known as Rocky, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the nationwide racket. Ranjan has been remanded to the CBI’s custody for 10 days following his apprehension. The investigation, which has expanded across multiple states, including Bihar and West Bengal, has so far led to over a dozen arrests, including school officials from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand.

Sources within the CBI revealed that the genesis of the NEET paper leak may trace back to the Oasis School in Hazaribagh, where exam papers were allegedly compromised. The agency has filed six FIRs, indicating the scale of the operation that involved leaking question papers meant for the May 5 NEET-UG exam. Despite claims of a leak, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has refuted allegations of missing papers and broken locks in Bihar, asserting that no question paper was found to be missing.

The controversy surrounding the NEET-UG exam has reached the Supreme Court, which is deliberating on petitions seeking its cancellation. While defending itself, the NTA clarified that results anomalies, including an unusually high number of top scorers, stemmed from differences in textbook editions rather than a leak. The court, meanwhile, has expressed reluctance towards ordering a re-test for nearly 24 lakh students unless deemed absolutely necessary, considering the financial burden on many candidates.

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