CBI files first chargesheet in NEET-UG paper leak case, names 13 accused

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Aug 2, 2024, 8:53 AM IST

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday filed its first chargesheet under sections 120-B, 201, 409, 380, 411, 420 and 109 IPC in the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 examination. The probe agency also filed substantive offences thereof against 13 accused individuals.

The CBI on Thursday filed its first chargesheet in the alleged NEET-UG 2024 question paper leak case. The chargesheet names 13 people as accused who were allegedly involved in the paper leak and other irregularities. Nitish Kumar, Amit Anand, Sikander Yadvendu, Ashutosh Kumar, Roshan Kumar, Manish Prakash, Akhilesh Kumar, Avdesh Kumar, Anurag Yadav, Abhishek Kumar, Shivnandan Kumar, and Ayush Raj are the accused persons included in the chargesheet.

Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand are the two kingpins while the four candidates who feature in the chargesheet are Ayush Kumar, Anurag Yadav, Abhishek Kumar, and Shivnandan Kumar. Sikander Yadvendu, a junior engineer from Bihar's Danapur Town Council, is also named in the document. All 13 accused, including the four examinees, were booked under sections dealing with criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy.

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The paper leak for the medical entrance exam had sparked protests in several parts of the country and prompted demands for a re-test, but the Supreme Court had ruled against that, noting that there had not been a systemic breach.

The central investigative agency filed up to six FIRs in relation to irregularities in the way the NEET-UG test was administered. The remaining allegations from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra include cheating and candidate impersonation, while the Bihar case concerns question paper leaks.

According to the CBI, the agency is still looking into further charges and suspects in addition to other case-related issues. After the inquiry is finished, police stated, a supplemental chargesheet will be submitted. Several other accused are already in police and judicial custody, the CBI added.

The 2024 NEET exam was marred by controversy due to alleged question paper leaks and other discrepancies, including cheating, impersonation and the granting of grace marks, leading to widespread outrage among students and a legal battle. A probe by the Bihar Police and the CBI unearthed a network involved in paper leaks in Patna and Hazaribagh.

The investigation team has searched 58 places and detained 40 suspects in this case thus far, including 15 who were taken into custody by the Bihar Police.

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