The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Rakesh Ranjan, also known as Rocky, a prime suspect in the alleged paper leak of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG). He was apprehended in Patna and presented before a special CBI court, which granted the CBI custody of Rocky for 10 days.
CBI Conducts Raids and Makes Multiple Arrests
According to a CBI official, searches were conducted at four locations connected to Rocky in Patna and West Bengal. The CBI has detained a total of 13 individuals, including 10 from Bihar and Jharkhand, one each from Latur (Maharashtra) and Godhra (Gujarat) for suspected manipulation and cheating, and another from Dehradun as part of its broader investigation into the conspiracy.
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In June, the agency informed a court about a “larger conspiracy” involving interstate connections in irregularities related to the NEET-UG examination.
Recent Arrests and Ongoing Investigations
On July 9, the CBI arrested Sunny Kumar, a resident of Nalanda who appeared for the NEET-UG, and Ranjit Kumar, a resident of Gaya whose son also took the exam on May 5. According to sources, Sunny Kumar, the first aspirant to be apprehended by the federal agency, allegedly used a leaked paper provided by a solver gang.
Prior to this, the CBI had arrested Oasis school principal Ahsanul Haque, vice-principal Imtiaz Alam, journalist Jamaluddin from Hazaribagh, and Aman Singh and Bunty from Dhanbad. Officials familiar with the case mentioned that Bunty, a resident of Kolkata, was arrested following a financial trail allegedly linked to collections from NEET-UG aspirants.
Nationwide Protests Erupt Over NEET-UG Exam Irregularities
Since the announcement of the NEET-UG results on June 4, protests have erupted nationwide as thousands of students have taken to the streets, criticizing this year’s procedures amidst allegations of question paper leaks, inflated marking, and arbitrary granting of grace marks.
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