NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a journalist in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, on Saturday in the NEET-UG paper leak case. The journalist, identified as Jamaluddin, works for a prominent Hindi newspaper and is accused of aiding the principal and vice principal of Oasis School in the leak.
The arrest comes a day after the CBI detained Ehsanul Haque, the principal, and Imtiaz Alam, the vice principal of Oasis School. Alam was also the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) observer and the center coordinator for the school during the NEET-UG exam conducted on May 5.
Officials stated, “The principal was the Hazaribagh district coordinator for the NEET exam. Jamaluddin’s arrest was based on crucial technical evidence linking him to the accused.”
The investigation is expanding, with CBI teams conducting searches at seven locations in Gujarat, including Godhra, Kheda, Ahmedabad, and Anand. This action is part of the ongoing probe into the alleged irregularities in the NEET exam.
The first arrests in this case were made on June 27, when Ashutosh Kumar and Manish Kumar from Patna were detained. They allegedly facilitated a location where examinees were provided with leaked NEET question papers and answer keys. An official noted, “The two from Patna arranged accommodation for NEET-UG examinees on May 4, where they memorized the solved paper.”
The CBI registered its first FIR on June 23, a day after the education ministry handed over the investigation to the central agency. The ministry acted following reports of widespread irregularities in the NEET-UG exam.
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According to the sources, “We have arrested a total of thirteen accused so far, including four examinees. The investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are likely.”
The scandal has caused a significant political uproar, with opposition parties demanding an immediate discussion on the alleged irregularities and cancellations of competitive exams in the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha.
The NEET-UG exam is crucial for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions. Amid the controversy, the government has deferred the NEET-PG examination as a precautionary measure.
The NEET row has highlighted the vulnerabilities in the conduct of national-level entrance exams and sparked a debate on the need for stricter measures to prevent such incidents.