CBI registers 5 NEET-UG malpractice cases, expands probe scope

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has assumed control of five new cases related to alleged malpractices in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam. These cases were previously under investigation by police in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Bihar.

Officials from the CBI stated that the agency has re-registered one case each from Gujarat and Bihar, along with three cases from Rajasthan, as its own First Information Report (FIR). Additionally, the CBI is likely to assume jurisdiction over another case from Latur in Maharashtra.

Excluding the Bihar case, officials described the other four cases as isolated incidents involving impersonation and cheating by local officials, invigilators, and candidates.

The CBI filed its own FIR based on a request from the Union education ministry to conduct a thorough investigation into these matters.

With the inclusion of these new cases, the CBI is currently investigating a total of six cases related to alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination.

The CBI launched the investigation into alleged leak of NEET and UGC-NET exam papers on Sunday, following a complaint from the Ministry of Education. The CBI has registered a new case under sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to CBI sources, the investigation focuses on identifying lapses in four critical stages of the exam process: the creation of the exam paper, its printing, transportation to various parts of the country, and distribution at examination centres. The objective is to find out how and where the security breach occurred that allowed the paper to be leaked.

One of the top priorities for the CBI is to pinpoint the stage at which the confidential process was compromised, despite the stringent secrecy measures implemented by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The CBI is scrutinising NTA officials directly involved in the exam process including those responsible for preparing the questions, printing the papers, transporting them to different states, and securely storing them until the exams.

The CBI is also leveraging a database containing 1,000 phone numbers and names, compiled during previous investigations into paper leak cases, including the Vyapam scam. This database is instrumental in cross-referencing names and numbers emerging from the current investigation to map out the nexus involved in the paper leak.

Moreover, the CBI has sent eight mobile phones to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) for examination. Forensic experts at CFSL will retrieve and analyse all data, including deleted information, to uncover leads in the NEET paper leak case.

As the investigation progresses, the CBI aims to identify and apprehend the individuals responsible for exploiting vulnerabilities in the exam process and ensure the integrity of future examinations.

Meanwhile, the Centre on Monday also made public the rules under the recently notified anti-paper leak law, mandating the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) to prepare norms, standards and guidelines for the computer-based tests among others.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Rules, 2024 have provisions for “engagement of services of other government agencies by public examination authority”, “preparations of norms, standards and guidelines” and “reporting of incidents of unfair means or offences” among others.