The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has issued a strong rebuttal to "speculative and false reports" circulating in some media outlets regarding the ongoing investigation into the NEET-UG 2024 examination paper leak case.
The CBI in a statement highlighted that the media reports are "misinformed and have inaccurately represented the progress of the investigation."
The CBI has been actively probing the allegations of theft and leakage of the NEET-UG 2024 question paper since it assumed control of the case on June 23, 2024.
The case, initially registered as No. 358/2024 on May 5, 2024, at Shastrinagar Police Station, Patna, Bihar, involves serious charges under Sections 407, 408, 409, and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code.
According to the CBI, the NEET-UG 2024 question paper was illicitly accessed on May 5, 2024, from the Oasis School in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.
Key figures in the operation included Pankaj Kumar, Aditya, and Sahil, who, along with the Hazaribagh NTA City Coordinator and the Oasis School’s principal and vice principal, orchestrated the leak.
The principal and vice principal, along with their associates, facilitated unauthorized access to the examination materials.
The investigation has led to the arrest of Pankaj Kumar, the school principal, vice principal, and other accomplices.
Additionally, the CBI has seized sophisticated tools used to access the question papers and uncovered several half-burnt copies of the paper, which helped trace the leak's origin.
The investigation revealed that the question paper was solved on May 5, 2024, by a group of MBBS students who were brought to Hazaribagh as part of the conspiracy.
These students, along with the masterminds behind the operation, have been identified, with many already in custody.
In total, the CBI has conducted searches at 33 locations and arrested 36 individuals, including 15 by the Bihar Police.
The investigation remains ongoing, with significant evidence collected and ongoing efforts to trace and take action against the candidates who accessed the leaked papers.
In response to the false media reports, the CBI stated, “It may be stated that CBI has come across reports in a section of media about the NEET-UG 2024 examination case which have been speculative, misinformed, and false.”
The agency stressed that it follows a formal mechanism for sharing information through its Chief Information Officer and urged the public to rely solely on official updates provided by the CBI.
"CBI has a formal mechanism of sharing information through its office of Chief Information Officer and does share required information from time to time keeping in mind the interest and integrity of investigation. It is therefore advised that only the information shared by CBI through its official mechanism may be relied upon," it added.
Here is the report published by the CBI:
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