The Central Government has submitted a sworn affidavit to the Supreme Court regarding the NEET paper leak, emphasizing their duty to address the apprehensions of students who appeared for the NEET exam 2024. A hearing on this matter is scheduled for Thursday, July 11.
In the affidavit, the government mentioned it is earnestly seeking a resolution, ensuring no culpable candidate reaps benefits. It also aims to prevent the imposition of a new exam's burden on 23 million students based on mere suspicions.
'Government Committed to Safeguarding Students' Interests'
The affidavit states that the government is committed to establishing a robust examination process for conducting all competitive exams in a fair and transparent manner. It affirms the government's dedication to upholding the integrity of exams to protect the interests of students.
To ensure transparency, fairness, and credibility in public exams, the Parliament has enacted the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
CBI Arrests Two More Individuals
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made two additional arrests in Bihar related to the NEET UG paper leak and malpractice case. NEET candidate Sunny Kumar and the father of another NEET candidate were arrested in Patna. Allegedly, Ranjit had arranged a malpractice act for his son's NEET examination. The CBI is actively probing this case, making arrests in Patna, Godhra, and Hazaribagh to unravel the leak's mystery.
Search for Sanjeev Mukhiya by CBI
The CBI will interrogate Sunny Kumar and the father of the NEET candidate, while also searching for Sanjeev Mukhiya, suspected to be the mastermind behind the paper leak. The agency is on the lookout for Mukhiya.
Recently, the CBI was granted remand for Aman Singh, who was arrested in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Alongside Singh, the CBI is questioning several individuals, including Chintu, Principal Ehsan ul Haq, Vice-Principal Imtiaz, and Jamaluddin of the Oasis School, as the investigation into the paper leak case continues to unearth unanswered queries.
CBI to Submit Investigation Report in Court
During the last Supreme Court hearing on the NEET paper leak case, the Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud indicated that CBI must present its investigation report in the next hearing. Thus, CBI needs to inform the court about all the evidence gathered from the arrests made to date.
NTA Responds in Court
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has also filed their response in the Supreme Court, clarifying that no question papers were found missing from any trunk in the Patna/Hazaribagh case. Each question paper carries a unique serial number, assigned to a specific candidate, and no broken locks were encountered. NTA's observer reports revealed nothing adverse. Continuous CCTV monitoring was performed at the command centers, with no anomalies or evidence of a paper leak observed.
NTA Denies Alleged Leak on Telegram
NTA dismissed the leak claims regarding an exam paper picture circulated on Telegram on May 4. An edited image showing a timestamp of 17:40 on May 5, 2024, prompted suspicion. Discussions within the Telegram channel suggested members considered the video fake and questioned the credibility of the alleged May 4 leak, as the timestamp had been manipulated to create a false narrative. Social media comments and discussions confirm that the pictures in the video were edited and the date intentionally altered to imply a leak on May 4.
