NEET probe suggests paper leak: Bihar Police
Aksheev Thakur
New Delhi, June 17
The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police, which is investigating irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) held on May 5, has said its investigation suggests a paper leak.
13 arrested
We have arrested 13 persons of which four took the NEET examination. The rest are members of a gang. In fact, one of the arrested persons, Nitish Kumar, was earlier held for a paper leak in the Bihar Teacher Recruitment Exam. — Nayyar Hasnain Khan, ADGP EOU
Additional Director General of Police, EOU, Nayyar Hasnain Khan said, “We had asked a set of questions to the National Testing Agency (NTA). Our team has received the responses and we are working on it. The information we have received in the course of the investigation suggests a paper leak.”
The EOU has raided hostels in Patna. As part of the investigation the EOU had in May sought a response from the NTA on the printing of question papers, chain of custody and transportation of question papers. However, the NTA delayed the responses by a month.
“The NTA has now responded. We have several followup questions on their responses. The delay of almost a month in responding to our queries slowed the investigation,” a senior officer of the Bihar Police said.
The eight-member Special Investigation Team of the EOU is headed by Superintendent of Police Madan Kumar Anand.
The SIT has seized post-dated cheques. “We have arrested 13 persons of which four took the NEET examination. The rest are members of the organised gang. In fact, one of the arrested persons, Nitish Kumar, was earlier held for paper leak in the Bihar Teacher Recruitment Exam. Investigation is underway. We have also sent notices to nine candidates — seven from Bihar and one each from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra — to join the probe,” he added.
“I am unable to understand despite having proof of paper leak, on record FIR and arrest in several parts of the country, why is the NTA silent? What more evidence you (NTA) want for the action to be taken,” said Dr Rishi Raj Singh, national secretary of FAIMA Doctors’ Association.
