NEET-UG leak case: CBI arrests one of the kingpins from Patna

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested one of the alleged kingpins in the NEET-UG paper leak case who was on the run ever since the crackdown on irregularities in the entrance exam began. Rockey alias Rakesh Ranjan, who hails from Nalanda, was arrested by the probe agency from the outskirts of Patna. Rockey is the nephew of Sanjeev Mukhia, who is suspected to be the mastermind of the paper leaks.   

The CBI, which is probing the alleged paper leaks and irregularities in NEET, had been trailing Rockey since the case was transferred to the agency. He was produced before a special court in Patna which remanded him to 10 days of CBI custody. After this arrest, the CBI carried out search operations at three locations in Patna and nearby areas and one in Kolkata. 

Sources told India Today that Rocky used to run a hotel in Jharkhand's Ranchi. It was Rocky who got the NEET-UG question paper leaked and then sent it to one Chintu, who further circulated and printed the papers with answers to the students.

India Today reported that Rocky had also arranged solvers for the NEET-UG exams after the question papers were leaked. Several MBBS students from Patna and Ranchi were hired as solvers by Rocky. Rocky is the ninth person to be arrested by the CBI. 

Earlier this week, the CBI had conducted searches at 15 locations in Bihar and Jharkhand gathering incriminating evidence in the case. The central agency had earlier arrested the principal and vice principal of Jharkhand's Hazaribagh-based Oasis school in the case and two persons who allegedly lent premises to NEET candidates where burnt question papers were recovered by the Bihar Police. 

The CBI has registered six FIRs in the matter so far. The FIR from Bihar pertains to paper leaks, while the remaining, from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra, are linked to the impersonation of candidates and cheating. 

The agency's own FIR on a reference from the Union Education Ministry pertains to a "comprehensive investigation" into the alleged irregularities in the examination. NEET-UG is conducted by the National Testing Agency for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions. 

(With inputs from Munish Chandra Pandey, Sreya Chatterjee, and PTI)