NEET-UG 2024 Leak: How The Hazaribagh Incident Unfolded, CBI Reveals

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has revealed Pankaj Kumar, the alleged mastermind behind the NEET paper leak, collaborated with the principal and vice principal of Oasis School in Hazaribagh. They accessed the question paper hours before the exam on May 5, solving and distributing it to candidates who had paid for his services, the central agency said on Thursday.

The CBI's investigation identified Oasis School Principal Ehsanul Haque, also the NTA City Coordinator, and Vice Principal Imtiaz Alam, who was the Centre Superintendent, as key conspirators. All three have been arrested. The agency discovered their involvement through half-burnt papers found in a Patna hostel, according to a report in PTI.

NEET Paper Leak Mastermind

The NEET UG 2024 question papers were delivered to the school on May 5 and stored in a control room. Shortly after their arrival, Haque and Alam allowed Kumar unauthorized access to the room. The tools used to open the trunks and retrieve the question papers have been confiscated by the CBI.

On exam day morning, a group of solvers from AIIMS Patna, RIMS Ranchi, and a medical college in Bharatpur solved the paper in Hazaribagh. Seven solvers have been arrested so far. The solved papers were then shared with selected students who had paid for them.

Arrests and Further Investigations

The CBI has identified other gang members who worked with Kumar and has arrested some of them. This group included individuals who arranged accommodations for candidates and those involved in transporting them. Efforts are ongoing to trace all candidates who received the solved question papers.

To date, 36 people have been arrested in connection with this case. The Supreme Court recently dismissed pleas seeking cancellation and re-test of NEET-UG 2024 due to lack of evidence proving systemic breach of exam integrity.

Supreme Court's Decision

The court acknowledged that there was indeed a leak in Hazaribagh and Patna but found no substantial proof that it compromised the entire exam process. According to the CBI's status report, 155 students from these centres appeared to benefit from this fraud.

This incident has caused significant disappointment among unsuccessful NEET-UG 2024 aspirants who hoped for a re-test following the controversy surrounding the exam.