Burnt pieces of question paper were found from a school in Patna in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case.
Amid nationwide protests over paper leaks, the main accused in the 2024 NEET-UG paper leak case has received a clean chit. The CBI on Thursday said that Bihar Police had named Sanjeev Mukhiya as the prime accused in the case, but its investigation found no evidence against him of stealing or leaking the question paper.
Sanjeev has been granted bail in this case, but he will remain in jail as he is also accused in a police recruitment paper leak case. The CBI said that during its investigation, the agency identified every person involved in stealing and distributing the question paper. It also identified the candidates who benefited from the leaked paper.
The CBI has filed a chargesheet in the court, naming 45 people as accused.
Bihar Police had conducted the initial investigation of the case
- The initial investigation into the paper leak case was carried out by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police. Sanjeev Kumar alias Sanjeev Mukhiya came under suspicion as he had earlier been linked to other question paper leak cases.
- At that time, Sanjeev Mukhiya was absconding. After 11 months, the EOU team arrested him in an earlier paper leak case.
- Bihar Police had named him as an accused in the FIR. The EOU had also submitted a detailed report related to the case before the Supreme Court. Following this, the investigation was handed over to the CBI.
Protests across the country over paper leak, Wangchuk’s hunger strike
The government on Thursday said it was ready to hold talks with the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at any time. The CJP said that if the government wanted discussions, it should come to Jantar Mantar or hold talks at a neutral location.
The students’ protest led by the CJP has been continuing at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since June 20. The protesters are demanding accountability in the NEET paper leak case and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Social activist Sonam Wangchuk, associated with the protest, has been on a hunger strike since June 28 and is currently admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram.
