NEET-UG 2024: CBI detains four students from AIIMS Patna in paper leak case

NEET-UG row: CBI has detained four AIIMS Patna students for allegedly aiding in the NEET-UG question paper leak, as the investigation uncovers more details and leads to multiple arrests

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has detained four AIIMS Patna students in connection with the NEET-UG question paper leak.

A CBI team conducted searches on Wednesday evening at the rooms of four medical students from the 2021 and 2022 batches at AIIMS Patna, confiscating their electronic devices and detaining them for questioning, according to an AIIMS Patna official.

A senior hospital official said four medical students are currently under investigation by the CBI for allegedly assisting in solving the NEET-UG question paper.

This development follows the recent arrest of Pankaj Kumar, also known as Aditya, a 2017-batch civil engineer from Jamshedpur’s National Institute of Technology, and Rajkumar Singh, also known as Raju, from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand. On Wednesday, a special court in Patna placed Pankaj Kumar in CBI custody for 14 days and Raju for 10 days.

According to the CBI, Pankaj Kumar and Rajkumar Singh allegedly stole the question paper from a National Testing Agency (NTA) trunk in Hazaribagh.

So far, the federal agency has arrested 14 individuals. Among them, one of the alleged masterminds, Rakesh Ranjan, was arrested in Nalanda on Thursday. Ranjan is accused of obtaining the leaked paper, solving it, and distributing it to MBBS aspirants.

Higher marks not reflective of system failure: NTA tells SC

Responding to allegations of irregularities in the NEET exam, the NTA said that higher scores obtained by candidates do not indicate any "systematic failure".

Addressing allegations about videos on the Telegram app, the NTA denounced them as doctored and aimed at promoting a false narrative of paper leaks. Emphasising the importance of merit, the NTA refuted claims of NEET paper leaks in Patna and Sawai Madhopur, and highlighted ongoing efforts to identify and penalise students involved in unfair practices.

Regarding concerns over the exam's integrity, the NTA acknowledged the CBI's investigation and clarified that deserving candidates would not lose opportunities due to the rank-based selection process.

Previously, both the Centre and the NTA opposed calls for a re-test, arguing that localised malpractices did not compromise the exam's overall integrity. They cited a data analytics report from IIT Madras, which indicated no systemic failures or widespread malpractice.

(With agency inputs)