Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Supreme Court that while an exact figure is unavailable, the number of impacted students cannot exceed 150, contrary to earlier reports suggesting up to 225.
A preliminary investigation by the CBI into the NEET paper leak case suggests that the scale of the malpractice may be less extensive than initially feared. According to a top agency official, the number of affected students could be under 150, with evidence of stolen question papers limited to only one centre in Patna-Hazaribagh. The official noted that fewer students may have received the questions in advance.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Supreme Court that while an exact figure is unavailable, the number of impacted students cannot exceed 150, contrary to earlier reports suggesting up to 225.
So far, 63 individuals have been detained, with 18 arrested by the CBI. This includes four AIIMS Patna students accused of being "solvers" who were apprehended recently. The CBI has also sealed the hostel rooms of these students and is examining their digital devices for evidence related to the conspiracy and financial transactions.
The investigation led to the arrest of Pankaj, also known as Aditya, an engineering graduate from NIT Jamshedpur, who allegedly stole the question papers from the National Testing Agency (NTA) drop-box and provided them to the solvers. Reports indicate that some aspirants paid up to Rs 35 lakh for this illicit access.
Rocky, also known as Rakesh Ranjan, is another crucial figure in the investigation. He is suspected of facilitating the distribution of the stolen papers to medical students for solving. The CBI believes Rocky coordinated the leak and attempted to flee to Nepal before his arrest.
The agency has also identified issues with the transport of the question papers. Documents suggest that papers were delivered without proper security, first by an e-rickshaw and then by an SUV belonging to a school vice-principal. The papers arrived at the NEET centre with broken seals, though the staff did not report this breach.
The CBI's ongoing probe aims to clarify when and how Pankaj accessed the question papers and whether there was a specific tip-off about the paper’s movement. While the investigation has revealed several points of failure, it appears that the overall integrity of the NEET exam was not severely compromised, with similar cases of impersonation being reported elsewhere.
