Paper leak: Bihar cops nab six from Jharkhand

Aksheev Thakur

New Delhi, June 22

The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police have arrested six persons from Jharkhand’s Deoghar district in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak. All accused are from Nalanda in Bihar. Earlier, the EOU had arrested 13 persons in the case.

Based on a tip-off, the police arrested Panku Kumar, Paramjeet, Baldev Kumar, Prashant, Ajeet and Rajeev Kumar from a house near AIIMS, Deoghar. This is the second set of arrests from Jharkhand.

Earlier, Awadesh Kumar and his son Abhishek, a NEET aspirant, were arrested from Ranchi. In his confession letter, Awadesh said he paid Rs 40 lakh to Sikandar Yadavendu, a prime accused, for the question paper. The EOU will also register a disproportionate assets case against Yadavendu.

“The arrested accused have been brought to Patna for further questioning. We are trying to ascertain the place from where the paper was leaked and how it was leaked,” an official from the Bihar Police said.

The EOU is also trying to locate Sanjeev Mukhiya, alias Lootan, another key suspect in the case. His son Shiv Kumar is already in custody in connection with a Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) paper leak case.