‘Solver gang’ member got PDF of solved question paper a day before NEET-UG

Patna: Economic Offences Unit (EOU) personnel leave with the accused arrested in connection with the alleged irregularities in NEET-UG exams 2024 case, after the latter's medical examination at LNJP hospital, in Patna, Sunday, June 23, 2024. (PTI Photo)

he Bihar Police’s Economic Offences Unit, which has handed over the probe into the alleged irregularities in NEET-UG to the CBI, Sunday said it has arrested a “solver gang” member who had received a PDF of the solved question paper on his phone on May 4, a day before the exam.

Baldev Kumar, alias Chintu, was among five people arrested by the EOU from Jharkhand’s Deoghar district Sunday. The EOU produced them before a Patna court, which sent them to judicial custody.

In a statement, the Bihar Police agency said Baldev Kumar is associated with the alleged kingpin of the “solver gang”, Sanjeev Kumar, who is at large.

“Based on the available evidence, the solved question papers of NEET UG-2024 examination held on 05.05.2024 were received on mobile by this gang,” it said.

Baldev Kumar, a resident of Bihar Sharif in Nalanda district, had been living at a rented accommodation in Patna. The other arrested “solver gang members” are Mukesh Kumar; a resident of Agamkuan in Patna; Panku Kumar from Chhabilapur, Nalanda; Rajeev Kumar alias Karu, a resident of Ekangarsarai, Nalanda; and Paramjit Singh alias Bittu, from of Chhabilalpur, Nalanda.Before their arrest, Mukesh Kumar, Rajeev Kumar and Paramjeet Singh had been named as accused persons in the EOU case.

The EOU statement said they narrowed down the five accused on the basis of intelligence inputs and technical investigation. “Partially burnt papers were found at Learn Boys Hostel and Play School located at Nandlal Chapra of Ramakrishna Nagar police station area of Patna. The samples were sent to FSL,” it said.

The statement mapped the trail of the leaked question paper. “Baldev Kumar had received the PDF file of the solved question paper on his mobile in the morning of May 5. Its copies were taken out from the Wi-Fi printer kept in the school. Groups of candidates were formed and they were made to memorise them,” said the EOU.

Arrangements were also made to discreetly transport the candidates. “A drop-off point was fixed about 2 km away from this school by the gang to take the candidates to Learn Boys Hostel and Play School. Gang members were present at this drop-off point. As revealed during the investigation, a taxi was used by the gang members to take the candidates from this drop-off point to Learn Boys Hostel and Play School and back. Mukesh Kumar, the taxi driver and owner, was among the five arrested and the vehicle used to transport candidates was also seized.”

“In the course of investigation into the scandal, roll code details of 15 suspicious candidates have so far been received from NTA, out of which four candidates have been interrogated. The remaining candidates have not yet appeared for questioning. A copy of the reference question paper related to the semi-burnt question paper seized in Learn Boys Hostel and Play School has been made available by NTA,” said the EOU statement.

The EOU added: “After receiving the desired report related to the Serial Code of the half-burned question paper seized from N.T.A in the evening of 20 June, 2024, it became clear that the half-burned question paper recovered from Learn Boys Hostel and Play School, Ramakrishna Nagar for the NEET UG-2024 examination. The serial code is of the examination centre of Oasis School Kallu Chowk, Mandai Road of District Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.

This has been verified.  the course of verification, prima facie, the polybag suspected of packing the question paper from the concerned examination centre of Hazaribagh, the packing of the original question paper recovered from the concerned candidate and the preliminary investigation in the related packing trunk, all these have been found to be tampered with and all these Suspicious exhibits have been duly confiscated.”

The EOU said duplicate SIMs were provided to Baldev and others, and stay arrangements were also made. A suspicious envelope box was also seized in Jharkhand, further suggesting involvement of the inter-state gang in the case.