The CBI filed an FIR on Sunday in connection with alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam NEET-UG held on May 5 on a reference from the Union education ministry, amid countrywide protests and litigation by students for a probe into paper leak claims.
Officials said the ministry alleged in a complaint, now part of the FIR, to the agency that “certain isolated incidents” occurred in a few states during the conduct of the examination.
Giving top priority to the case, the CBI has formed special teams that are en route to Godhra and Patna, where cases of question paper leaks have been registered by police, they said. The agency plans to take over the investigation of these cases registered by the police in Gujarat and Bihar, they added.
The CBI action came a day after the ministry announced it would hand over the probe into the alleged irregularities to the central agency, a demand raised by a section of protesting students.
“The ministry of education has requested the CBI to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the entire gamut of alleged irregularities, including conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust and destruction of evidence by candidates, institutes and middlemen,” a CBI spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, a team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination was attacked in Bihar, hours after the central agency took over the case on Sunday. The incident took place in Nawada district. Police have arrested six persons and seized mobile phones from them.
A total of 17 students, who gave the NEET-UG examination from centres in Bihar on May 5, have been debarred based on Bihar government’s Economic Offences Unit (EOU) report.
Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency (NTA) also conducted a retest for 1,563 candidates who had been earlier awarded grace marks for “loss of exam time”. Of these 1,563 candidates, only 813 students (approximately 52 per cent) appeared for the retest.
