Patna: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha on Thursday claimed that the arrested prime suspect in the NEET “paper leak” is linked to officials associated with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, prompting the party to dismiss the allegation as a “bundle of lies” meant to divert attention from the demand to cancel the May 5 exam.
Addressing a press conference here, Sinha claimed that the official was in constant touch with Sikander Prasad Yadvendu, the arrested prime accused in the case.
“The official associated with Yadav used to arrange accommodation for Sikandar at guest houses in Patna and other places. I have details of messages which the official had sent to the persons concerned for arranging accommodation for Sikandar,” the deputy chief minister said.
Sinha said he has the mobile number from which those messages were sent.
He said, “It needs to be thoroughly probed. Why is the RJD leader (Tejashwi Prasad) maintaining a stoic silence on this?”
There are reports suggesting that the accused was also associated with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, when he was in judicial custody in Ranchi, the deputy chief minister said.
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Bihar Police had last month arrested 13 people as part of its investigation into the alleged paper leak in NEET-UG 2024. The arrested accused included examinees, their parents and alleged mastermind Sikander Prasad Yadvendu.
“The entire sequence of events reveals how RJD leaders indulge in corrupt practices. There are reports suggesting that the accused was associated with Lalu Prasad during his judicial custody in Ranchi,” the deputy CM alleged.
Reacting to Sinha’s allegations, the RJD termed it as a “bundle of lies” and said the BJP leader is simply trying to divert the attention of 25 lakh NEET aspirants from their core demand to cancel the exam held on May 5.
“The charges levelled by Sinha are baseless and a bundle of lies. He (Sinha) even claimed that the official associated with the RJD leader wrote a letter to arrange an accommodation for Sikandar. Does this letter exist? The BJP leader must show us this letter (original),” senior RJD leader Manoj Jha told reporters here.
“Whatever Sinha said is contradictory to what Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told about NEET. Sinha said question papers were leaked, but Pradhan does not accept that”, Jha said.
The RJD leader said, “Other accused in the case, Amit Anand and Nitish Kumar, have photographs with senior saffron party leaders. The BJP leaders are basically trying to save the kingpin of NEET question paper leak. Why are Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pradhan silent on the paper leak in Gujarat and Haryana. We demand immediate cancellation of the exam held on May 5 and scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA).We also demand Pradhan’s resignation”.
Meanwhile, sources indicated that the Economic Offences Unit (EOU), which examined two more suspects on Wednesday, was presented with material evidence during the investigation.
The EOU has already recovered post-dated cheques suspected to have been issued in favour of mafia or gang members who allegedly demanded over Rs 30 lakh from each candidate seeking the leaked question paper ahead of last month’s exam, sources said.
Earlier, Deputy Inspector General (EOU) Manavjit Singh Dhillon had informed PTI that six such post-dated cheques had been recovered.
“During the investigation, EOU sleuths recovered six post-dated cheques issued in favour of alleged criminals who reportedly facilitated question papers to aspirants before the examination,” Dhillon said.
Investigators are verifying details about account holders from banks, he added.
Sources added that the EOU has summoned seven additional candidates to join the probe.
NEET-UG 2024, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), took place at 4,750 centres in 571 cities in which more than 24 lakh candidates appeared. The results were declared on June 4.
However, immediately after the results were announced, students raised allegations of irregularities when 67 students achieved top scores, amidst claims of question paper leaks in Bihar.
A group of candidates approached the Supreme Court demanding a fresh exam due to alleged paper leaks and concerns about the test’s integrity.
“It is suspected that nine aspirants, including four from Bihar who have already been arrested by the EOU, allegedly received the question paper and answers at a ‘safe house’ near Patna a day before it was conducted on May 5,” sources said.
According to sources, police conducted a search at the rented premises and recovered mobile phones, admit cards, and other incriminating documents.
“EOU sleuths also retrieved partially burnt question papers from the safe house,” he added.
“We have requested reference question papers from the NTA, but have not yet received a response. Once we obtain those, we will send the burnt question papers to the appropriate forensic laboratory for examination,” the DIG mentioned.
EOU sources revealed that their investigation uncovered the distribution of NEET-UG question papers and answers to around 35 aspirants before the exam.
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