NEET-UG Question Paper Leak: CBI Custody for ‘Exam Mafia’ Amid Controversy
A special court in Patna has placed two individuals accused of leaking the NEET-UG question paper into three-day custody with the CBI. Mukesh Kumar and Chintu, dubbed as ‘exam mafias’, allegedly leaked the questions for the NEET-UG exam held on May 5.
According to the Bihar Police’s Economic Offences Unit (EOU), Chintu received the question paper on his mobile phone. The CBI will now interrogate Chintu and Mukesh to determine how they obtained the question paper beforehand and how many students might have had access to answers before the exam on May 5.
Investigations by the EOU found that Chintu is married to the sister of Sanjeev Mukhiya, a key suspect in the case. From Chintu’s possession, police seized 20 ATM cards, 21 blank cheques, and ₹50,000 in cash.
The NEET-UG exam, which over 24 lakh students took for undergraduate medical programs, saw its results released earlier than expected on June 4. However, controversy erupted over allegations of question paper leaks and the awarding of grace marks to more than 1,500 students. This led to widespread protests and legal actions, including cases filed in various courts, notably the Supreme Court, which strongly criticized the National Testing Agency’s handling of the situation.