The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Rakesh Ranjan, alias Rocky, who is alleged to be the kingpin behind the NEET paper leak case. Rocky has been remanded to the CBI’s custody for 10 days as the agency continues its probe into the nationwide exam paper racket. Concurrently, the CBI is conducting raids at four locations, including two near Patna in Bihar and two near Kolkata in West Bengal.
The NEET paper leak has led to over a dozen arrests, including the principal and vice-principal of a school in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh, indicating the involvement of a significant national racket in leaking competitive exam papers. Last week, a student was also arrested from Patna in connection to the case.
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So far, the CBI has filed six FIRs, including five for three separate cases in Bihar, and has arrested eight individuals, excluding Rocky.
The NEET paper leak reportedly originated from a school in Hazaribagh. The CBI discovered that question papers for the exam, scheduled for May 5, were leaked from the Oasis School in Hazaribagh. Rocky was present when the seals on the question papers were broken.
He took photos of the questions and shared them with ‘solver gangs,’ an organized group that provides answers to leaked papers, which were then sold to candidates for high prices. Rocky is also linked to Sanjeev Mukhiya, another key figure in the scam who is currently on the run.
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The controversy has reached the Supreme Court, which is debating the extent of the leak. The NEET-UG exam is crucial for admission to undergraduate medical courses, and nearly 24 lakh students took the exam on May 5. The controversy arose after the results were declared, with an unusually high number of perfect scores and questions about the award of ‘grace marks’ to 1,563 students.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting the NEET exam, has defended itself against allegations, stating that the leaked images on Telegram were fabricated and that no NEET-UG question paper was found missing. The NTA explained the high number of high-scoring results due to differences in textbook editions, which led to two correct options for one question.
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The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, has indicated reluctance to order a re-test for nearly 24 lakh students unless absolutely necessary, describing it as a “last option.” The court emphasized the financial burden a re-test would impose on many students from poor families.
As investigations continue, the CBI’s arrest of Rocky could significantly advance the case, potentially exposing further details of the NEET paper leak racket.
