NEW DELHI, July 18: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned four AIIMS Patna students on Thursday as part of its investigation into the NEET-UG paper leak case, sealing their hostel rooms in the process.
Officials disclosed that three third-year MBBS students named Chandan Singh, Rahul Anant, and Kumar Shanu, along with second-year student Karan Jain, were escorted from their hostel rooms by a CBI team. The students were taken to the CBI office for questioning, with their hostel rooms subsequently sealed.
AIIMS Patna Director G K Paul confirmed the development, stating that senior officials had provided photographs and mobile numbers of the students to facilitate their identification. The students were taken into custody in the presence of the dean, hostel warden, and the OSD to the director.
The questioning follows the recent arrest of Pankaj Kumar alias Aditya, a civil engineer from NIT Jamshedpur’s 2017 batch, who allegedly stole the NEET-UG paper from an NTA trunk in Hazaribagh. Kumar was apprehended in Patna, with another individual, Raju Singh, also arrested for aiding in the theft.
The CBI has initiated six FIRs as part of its investigation, including one from Bihar concerning the paper leak, and others from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra involving impersonation and cheating allegations. Additionally, the agency has launched its own investigation into comprehensive irregularities reported during NEET-UG 2024.
NEET-UG, managed by the National Testing Agency (NTA), is the gateway examination for admissions into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and related courses across government and private institutions. This year’s exam was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centers in 571 cities, including 14 abroad, with over 23 lakh candidates participating.
