An in-depth investigation into the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) undergraduate examination has uncovered signs of paper leaks and other irregularities, pointing to a complex scheme orchestrated at an exam center in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. It appears this operation was part of a larger education mafia, allegedly led by a figure known as Sanjeev Mukhiya.

Sources from the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) suggest that a paper leak mafia from Bihar targeted the examination centers in Hazaribagh, exploiting them as vulnerable points in the system. This group is also implicated in another scandal involving the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam paper leaks. They are accused of forming a network that includes NEET aspirants, paper setters, and key figures within educational institutions across Jharkhand to manipulate the outcomes of this critical exam.

Further information from EOU sources indicates that Hazaribagh’s Oasis School played a pivotal role in the NEET paper leaks. A tampered question paper was discovered here, and the evidence was meticulously documented in a report delivered to the Union Education Ministry. The report, detailing the investigative findings up to June 21, included both the tangible proof and confessional statements from those involved. This led the Ministry to engage the National Testing Agency (NTA) and subsequently assign the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the case for a more thorough inquiry.

The EOU has characterized the situation as the workings of a well-organized interstate racket based out of Bihar, demonstrating the intricate and far-reaching nature of this fraudulent scheme.

Additionally, the Bihar police disclosed on Sunday that the Learn Play School, now shut down, served as a "safe house" where the accused received the question papers. This location was strategically chosen for its isolation and privacy, facilitating the illicit activities.

The police have confirmed the arrest of an individual known as Chintu, apprehended in Devghat. He was reportedly on the premises of the playschool at the time the question papers arrived. The authorities have detailed that Chintu had access to the solved question papers through his mobile phone. It was on the morning of May 5th, the same day as the examination, that Chintu received these documents and proceeded to print them using a WiFi-connected printer. Following this, the students were instructed to memorize the answers.

The Bihar police have described the operation as meticulously planned. They highlighted that a specific drop-off point was established approximately 2 kilometers from the playschool. From there, the students were transported to the site in taxi cabs, further illustrating the lengths to which the orchestrators went to avoid detection.

Further investigations revealed that the compromised question papers originated from Oasis Play School in Hazaribagh. Police reports indicate clear evidence of tampering with the question paper packaging. For more detailed insights into the sequence of events on the exam day and the methods used by the accused to obtain the exam paper via WhatsApp, click here.

As per reports, the investigation has raised questions about the role of the school's management, with the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) flagging the involvement of Oasis School in Hazaribagh as suspicious in the paper leak scenario. EOU sources confirmed that NEET-UG paper booklet number 6136488 was specifically leaked from this institution. There was also clear evidence of tampering found within the booklet box.

According to media reports on the investigation, the Sanjeev Mukhiya gang had accommodated approximately 25 candidates at Learn Play School. These candidates were provided with the exam paper and its solutions a day before the NEET exam was scheduled to take place (Image Source – Insider Live).

At the center of these allegations is Oasis School, where Shabbir Ahmed serves as Chairman, and Ehsanul Haque as principal. Haque also holds a significant role as the city coordinator of CBSE, overseeing all examination centers in four districts of Jharkhand—Hazaribagh, Chatra, Koderma, and Ramgarh—where the National Testing Agency (NTA) administers tests.

Notably, on March 15th of this year, a similar incident occurred when the exam paper for the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) teacher recruitment was leaked from Hazaribagh. The modus operandi in that situation involved relocating about 268 candidates to various locations across Hazaribagh, with around 113 candidates hailing from Bihar’s Nalanda district, the hometown of the alleged ringleader, Sanjeev Mukhiya.

In Hazaribagh, candidates were meticulously coached on the questions and answers the night before the exam in designated safe houses. However, a coordinated effort by a joint team comprising Jharkhand and Bihar Police led to the apprehension of both candidates and individuals linked to the paper leak syndicate.

Investigation Points to the Involvement of Sanjeev Mukhiya Gang

The ongoing investigation into the NEET paper leak case has increasingly suggested the involvement of the notorious Sanjeev Mukhiya gang. EOU sources highlight that Sanjeev Mukhiya’s son, Dr. Shiv, is already incarcerated due to his role in the BPSC teacher recruitment exam paper leak. It is reported that Sanjeev Mukhiya’s network strategically uses Hazaribagh as a safe zone for their operations, facilitating their activities across the Bihar border.

Sanjeev Mukhiya’s Network

The Bihar Police is currently intensively searching for Sanjeev Kumar, also known as Sanjeev Mukhiya or Lutan, who remains the only prime accused still at large in connection with the NEET paper leak. He resides in Shahpur Balwa village in Nalanda.

Sanjeev Mukhiya's criminal record extends back to 2010, involving multiple instances of exam paper leaks. Initially, he was associated with Bihar's most notorious education mafia, Ranjit Don, before branching out to establish his own illicit network. It is alleged that recently, Sanjeev Mukhiya and his associates were also involved in the leak of the BPSC exam paper.

Dr. Shiv Kumar, also known as Bittu, the son of Sanjeev Mukhiya, was arrested for his involvement in the BPSC paper leak and is currently held in custody. The network responsible for the paper leaks, operated by Sanjeev Mukhiya, is primarily based in Nalanda, Bihar, although its activities are reported to extend across the nation. In the political sphere, Sanjeev Mukhiya’s wife, Mamta Devi, has been an active participant, having contested elections on the Lok Jan Shakti Party ticket and previously serving as a Mukhiya.

On the 21st of April, Dr. Shiv Mukhiya was caught in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, with four others, all linked to the NEET paper leak case. This was not his first brush with the law concerning examination fraud; he was previously implicated in a similar NEET paper leak case reported at a police station in Patna in 2017.

It has been reported that nearly 25 candidates were accommodated by Sanjeev Mukhiya’s gang at a boys’ hostel, after spending a day at the Learn Play School in Patna on the 4th of May, just one day before the NEET exam. These candidates were allegedly provided with leaked question papers and answer sheets at this hostel. In response, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) has issued alerts to police teams in Nalanda, Gaya, and Nawada districts in Bihar and has distributed pamphlets to aid in the search and capture of Sanjeev Mukhiya.

Bihar Deputy CM and BJP Leader Accuse Personal Secretary of Tejashwi Yadav to be Part of the Paper Leak

Amidst the ongoing investigation into the paper leak scandal, Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha has leveled accusations against Tejashwi Yadav’s personal secretary, Pritam Kumar, who is also a Bihar Administrative Service officer. According to Sinha, Pritam Kumar is implicated in the orchestration of the leaks.

Vijay Sinha recounted specific incidents involving Pritam Kumar: "On May 1, Tejashwi Yadav’s personal secretary Pritam Kumar called guesthouse worker Pradip Kumar to book a room for Sikander Kumar Yadvendu. On May 4, Pritam Kumar called Pradip Kumar again to book the room. The word ‘Mantri’ was used for Tejashwi Yadav. Sikandar Yadvendu is a close relative of Tejashwi Yadav’s PS Pritam Kumar."

Sinha further elaborated on the arrangements made for the relatives of the involved parties: "An NHAI guest house was booked for Sikandar’s sister Reena Yadav and son Anurag Yadav on May 4. A phone number and ‘Mantri Ji’ were mentioned in the NHAI guest house’s diary." He disclosed that the investigating agency is now focused on identifying this 'Mantri Ji', as mentioned in the diary entries related to the guest house bookings, deepening the intrigue surrounding the case.

Latest Development in the NEET-UG Allegation Probe Case

On Monday (24th June), a significant development occurred in the ongoing investigation into the NEET-UG examination irregularities when a team from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Delhi arrived at the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police in Patna. This move follows the central government's decision to transfer the probe responsibilities to the CBI. Up to this point, the EOU had been at the forefront of the investigation and had apprehended 18 individuals linked to the scandal.

The officers from the CBI are currently engaged in gathering and reviewing all the evidence accumulated by the EOU. An EOU officer shared details of the materials collected, which include "pieces of the burnt question paper found at a house in Patna, mobile phones, SIM cards, laptops, post-dated cheques, and reference question papers provided by the National Testing Agency (NTA)."

Further, the officer disclosed, "All those arrested are presently held in judicial custody in Patna, and there is a possibility that the CBI team will transfer them to Delhi for more comprehensive questioning after obtaining transit remand from a local court."

Just a day before this, the CBI took a more formal step in addressing the irregularities by filing a criminal case and establishing specialized teams dedicated to investigating the matter. The agency's FIR notes that certain "isolated incidents" occurred in various states during the NEET (UG) 2024 examination, which took place on May 5, 2024. In an unsettling turn of events, a CBI team was reportedly assaulted by locals in Nawada, Bihar, while on duty, leading to the arrest of four individuals by the police following a complaint from the CBI. This altercation took place on Saturday evening in the Kasiadeeh village.

In addition, the CBI is preparing to escalate its legal actions by filing multiple FIRs concerning the destruction of evidence and is expected to initiate cases of disproportionate assets (DA) against some accused individuals who hold public office.

CBI May Probe Other Criminal Antecedents of Another Prime Suspect, Sikander Prasad Yadvendu

An officer has identified Sikander Prasad Yadvendu, a resident of Samastipur, as another prime suspect in the ongoing investigation. The officer detailed, “A DA case may be registered against arrested accused Sikander Prasad Yadvendu, a junior engineer in Danapur Town Council, as he reportedly acquired huge assets that are disproportionate to his known source of income.”

Adding to Yadvendu's profile, the officer mentioned, “He has a history of involvement in criminal activities. Before becoming a junior engineer in 2012, he worked as a contractor in Ranchi. He was previously implicated in an LED scam worth Rs 3 crore. He has served a jail sentence for his role in that case.”

In a related development, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) is currently conducting searches for 10 postgraduate doctors from the Patna-Ranchi Medical College, who are suspected of aiding in the solution of the NEET question papers.

This action comes on the heels of the recent detention of six additional individuals, including the prime suspect Chintu from Deoghar, Jharkhand. These individuals were captured from a residence near AIIMS-Deoghar in the Devipur police station area on Friday night. The arrested group includes Chintu alias Baldeo Kumar, Paramjit Singh alias Bittu, Panku Kumar, Kaju alias Prashant Kumar, Ajit Kumar, and Rajiv Kumar alias Karu. Notably, among the captured, suspects Pintu and Chintu are believed to be integral members of the network operated by the notorious kingpin Sanjeev Mukhiya.