NEET UG exam: Over 2 dozen including 14 solvers arrested from separate districts

Bihar police have arrested more than two dozen people including 14 solvers (impersonater) for cheating and alleged paper leak of NEET-UG 2024, which was conducted yesterday.
Among the accused, 14 persons including eight from Katihar, four from Purnia, two from Vaishali, one each from Gopalganj and Patna were arrested allegedly appearing for the exams in place of registered candidates. Separate FIRs have been lodged against the solvers. During interrogation the solvers known as experts to appear on behalf of valid candidates at many centres were given ₹5-10 lakh each by the gang membrs.
In Patna, police arrested two examinees from a examination centre while they solved the question papers with the help of seixed answer sheets. An FIR has been registered against the examinees and others with the Shastri Nagar police station of Patna under Sections 407, 408 (criminal breach of trust) and 120 B (punishment of criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Patna SSP Rajeev Mishra said that an investigation is going on whether the question papers have been leaked or not. We received the information of paper leak about two-three hours before the commencement of the examination.
“Interrogation of the arrested and detained people is going on and many names have also come to light. Most of them would forwarded to judicial custody and later they were remanded for further interrogation,” he said
According to police, paper leak gang allegedly took ₹30 to 50 lakh from many candidates and then accommodated them in lodges of Patna where they were provided question papers claiming to be that of NEET-UG for memorising. Police carried out raids at many hostels and lodges of the state capital on Monday morning and incriminating dcuments were also found from some places.
Reports from Katihar, police arrested seven solvers from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya and another one from other centre during biometric tests. Katihar SP Jitendra Kumar confirmed their arrest told HT that the arrested were forwarded to judicial custody.
In Purnia, four impersonator identified as Kamlesh Kumar (Rajasthan) who was appearing on behalf of Dheeraj Prakash, Nitish Kumar who was writing papers for Ashish (Bhojpur) Saurabh Kumar (Beggusarai) and Mayank Choudhary alias Krishna Kumar (Sitamarhi)
“All the arrested solvers are medical students. They were arrested from SR DAV School Centre in Purnea during picture verification process,” said Purnia SP Upendra Nath Verma, adding that an FIR lodged against Khazanchi Hat police station.
In Patna’s Danapur police station area one Faujia a resident of Patna City was arrested when she was appeared in a examination centre on the behalf of a student belong from Amrawati in Maharastra.
The Gopalganj’s Town police station arrested a solvers from a private school during biometrict tests. One of them identified as Satish Kumar a resident of Barmer in Rajasthan. In Vaishali, two solvers arrested from two sepaarte examinations centre were identified as Dabloo Kumar and U Ahmad.
Social media was flooded with posts of allegation that the NEET question paper was leaked, however, the NTA refuted this.
(With Inputs from Aditya N Jha)