CBI arrests alleged kingpin of NEET-UG paper leak from Patna

NEW DELHI, JULY 11 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested the alleged kingpin of the Bihar NEET-UG case from Patna.

After his arrest, the probe agency conducted searches at various locations connected to him in Patna and Kolkata, which led to the recovery of several incriminating documents, officials said.

Meanwhile, a local court has granted 10-day custody of the main accused to the CBI for interrogation.

According to sources, Rakesh Ranjan alias Rocky, used to run a hotel in Jharkhand’s Ranchi. It was Rocky who got the NEET-UG question paper leaked and then sent it to one Chintu, who further circulated and printed the papers with answers to the students.

Rocky had also arranged solvers for the NEET-UG exams after the question papers were leaked. Several MBBS students from Patna and Ranchi were hired as solvers by Rocky.

The arrest of the main accused comes two days after the probe agency nabbed two more people, including a candidate, from Patna in connection with the case.

A NEET-UG aspirant, Sunny who hails from Nalanda and father of another candidate, Ranjit Kumar, who is from Gaya, have been arrested.

According to officials, the CBI has so far arrested nine persons in Bihar NEET-UG paper leak case and one each in connection with alleged manipulation in Gujarat’s Latur and Godhra, and one from Dehradun in connection with general conspiracy.

CBI took over the investigation following a nationwide outburst by students over alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam. As part of this probe, the CBI has registered six FIRs in the case so far.

One FIR from Bihar involves paper leaks, while the other FIRs from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra are related to cases of impersonation and cheating during the exam.

Rocky is the ninth person to be arrested by the CBI in Bihar in the NEET-UG paper leak case. Several arrests have also been made in other states, including Gujarat and Uttarakhand.

-The India Today