Students present at the Supreme Court during the NEET paper leak case hearing in New Delhi on July 18, 2024.
A critical piece of evidence in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case, a half-burnt printout containing a unique bar code, has brought to light a sophisticated conspiracy. The investigation has uncovered a gang involved in this scandal, with its leader still unidentified.
This shocking revelation was presented by the Central Bureau of Investigation’s Additional Director during a Supreme Court hearing led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on July 18, 2024.
The investigation revealed that the gang began its operations three months prior to the NEET examination. Members reached out to parents of prospective candidates, offering illicit assistance and targeting “vulnerable” examination centers—primarily private institutions—willing to compromise the integrity of the exam for financial gain.
Compromised Examination Venue
The Oasis School in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, became a focal point for the gang’s operations. On May 5, after the exam papers were stored securely, one gang member, known as ‘Pankaj,’ infiltrated the school unnoticed.
According to investigators, Pankaj waited just feet away from the examination control room, where the papers were kept under lock and key. The center coordinator had reportedly provided Pankaj with tools to assist in breaking into the trunk containing the sensitive materials.
It took him approximately one hour and twenty minutes to access the papers, photograph each page, and reseal the plastic wrapping using a lighter before returning the materials to their original location. A student later noted the unusual burn marks on her exam paper’s packaging as evidence of the tampering, according to statements presented in court.
Financial Transactions Uncovered
Those photographs were transmitted to another accomplice, who was stationed at a nearby guesthouse with several students—referred to as ‘beneficiaries’—who had already paid to receive the leaked questions. The CBI has since recovered a total of 72 post-dated cheques issued to the gang.
At the guesthouse, the gang member compiled and distributed printed copies of the questions. Problem solvers accompanying the students took roughly 45 minutes to complete their responses, which were then memorized by the candidates prior to heading to their designated examination centers in Patna and Hazaribagh.
Evidence of Complicity
The critical piece of burnt paper, discovered by Bihar police and given to the CBI, had a unique identification number linked to a specific candidate. This led investigators back to the girl assigned to that particular exam paper.
“Each question paper has a unique number assigned to each student,” investigators explained. “This unique identifier led us directly to a legitimate candidate who had noticed the tampering but initially chose to remain silent, later providing a statement to authorities.”
Lingering Questions
Chief Justice Chandrachud raised concerns regarding the extent of the leak, questioning whether the photographs had been disseminated to other locations, implying a wider network of complicity beyond Patna and Hazaribagh.
The mobile device used to transfer the photographs remains unaccounted for, and forensic efforts to trace the electronic evidence have yet to yield results. Meanwhile, the elusive gang leader continues to evade capture.
