By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: The CBI has initiated swift action by registering an FIR in the NEET paper leak case. On Monday morning, a CBI team arrived at the Bihar Economic Offenses Unit (EOU) office. The central government has assigned the investigation to the CBI. On Sunday, the CBI registered the case and formed two special teams for the investigation. One of these teams is currently in Patna.
A team of CBI officials arrived on Sunday evening and contacted the Bihar EOU before reaching Patna. They requested documents related to the paper leak and the investigation report conducted so far. On Monday morning, these documents were handed over to the CBI team, which will now proceed with further action after reviewing them.
Earlier, the CBI issued a press release detailing the case. According to the release, the CBI registered a criminal case based on a written complaint by the Director of Higher Education, Government of India. The FIR alleges that during the NEET exam conducted by the NTA on May 5, 2024, at 4,750 centers in 571 cities, some isolated incidents of irregularities occurred. Over 23 lakh candidates appeared for the exam.
The FIR highlights that due to these incidents, the Ministry of Education requested the CBI to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the irregularities. The CBI has been tasked with uncovering the conspiracy, instances of cheating, destruction of evidence by candidates, institutions, and middlemen, as well as any irregularities in the NEET exam. The investigation will also determine the involvement of any NTA personnel.
The CBI stated that it has commenced the investigation and formed special teams to prioritize the matter. These special teams have been dispatched to Patna, Bihar, and Godhra, Gujarat, where local police had already registered related cases.
The author is a Patna based journalist
