Editor's Pick | CBI arrests two in Patna in NEET paper leak case

In its first arrests from Patna in the NEET-UG paper leak case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took two persons into custody on Thursday. According to the agency, the accused — Manish Prakash and Ashutosh Kumar — played a crucial role in arranging to rent the Learn Boys Hostel and Play School in Patna’s Khemnichak locality, where the leaked question papers were allegedly distributed to candidates on the eve of the examination. The CBI continued its interrogation of the principal of a Hazaribagh school, with sources saying that a key focus is on the strong connections between the NEET (National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test) and UGC-NET paper leaks at the school, which was a centre for both examinations, both conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Questions are being raised as to how the school, already under suspicion with regard to NEET, was allowed to remain a venue for UGC-NET, which was conducted over a month later. The CBI also gained custody on Thursday of Baldev Kumar, alias Chintu, and Mukesh Kumar, two accused who had been arrested by the Bihar Police’s Economic Affairs Unit which had been previously investigating the case. The Central agency brought them to its office in Patna for questioning after a medical check-up. On Wednesday, a special CBI court granted custody of them to the CBI till July 4. After questioning Mr. Prakash and Mr. Kumar on Thursday, the CBI arrested both men. The CBI continued its intensive questioning of Oasis School principal Ahsanul Haque in Hazaribagh for the second consecutive day. The agency has detained seven people in Hazaribagh, including the principal. Electronic devices, including the printer from the principal’s office, were seized from the Oasis School, CBI sources said. During questioning, the CBI found that the Oasis School had been an examination centre for both the NEET-UG exam, held on May 5, and the UGC-NET exam held on June 18. The Union Education Ministry cancelled the UGC-NET exam a day after it was held on the basis of inputs that the integrity of the examination had been compromised. Given that the Oasis School was already under scanner in the NEET paper leak case, agency sources asked how the NTA had selected the school as a centre for the UGC-NET exam as well. The Bihar police had earlier said that a partially burnt question paper seized from the play school in Patna matched with the question paper received from the NTA. The series of that question paper had then been sent to the examination centre at the Oasis School, they said. On Wednesday, the CBI had questioned the SBI bank officials and the courier company responsible for transporting NEET question papers. Opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc will move adjournment motions in both the Houses of Parliament on Friday over the alleged irregularities in NEET and paper leaks in other public exams. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Opposition bloc, held at the official residence of Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was present at the meeting attended by floor leaders of parties in the alliance. An adjournment motion is a tool that seeks to stop all other businesses of the House and take up the issue for which the motion has been moved. While the government is unlikely to agree to such a motion, sources indicated that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is ready to answer queries on all issues regarding NEET and other public exams and steps taken to strengthen the NTA, which conducts many of these exams. In her address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday, President Droupadi Murmu said the Union government is fully committed to a fair investigation in the recent incidents of paper leaks and ensure that the guilty are punished. While President Murmu spoke about the NEET issue in Parliament, a few kilometres away at Jantar Mantar, there were back-to-back protests with students and youth leaders demanding the dissolving of the controversy-riddled NTA and the resignation of Mr. Pradhan. Two protests took place simultaneously — one by the Congress’s youth wing, which resulted in detentions, and the other by multiple student outfits that have come under the banner of “India Against NTA”, which saw the participation of two elected MPs, Raja Ram Singh from Bihar and Shashikant Senthil from Tamil Nadu. The NTA continued to face the heat over the conduct of the NEET-UG test with the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court seeking its response to separate petitions raising grievances with respect to the uploading of the optical mark recognition (OMR) sheets by the agency prior to the announcement of the results and out-of-syllabus questions. The Hindu’s Editorials ​Unwarranted arrest: on the case of Arvind Kejriwal Net damage: On the fisheries dispute, India and Sri Lanka The Hindu’s Daily Quiz WikiLeaks’ journey began in which year, when the website was first established and its domain name registered by Julian Assange? 2006 2009 2013 2011 To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 28 June 2024 [The Hindu logo] [EP Logo] Editor's Pick 28 June 2024 In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( CBI arrests two in Patna in NEET paper leak case [In its first arrests from Patna in the NEET-UG paper leak case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took two persons into custody on Thursday]( According to the agency, the accused — Manish Prakash and Ashutosh Kumar — played a crucial role in arranging to rent the Learn Boys Hostel and Play School in Patna’s Khemnichak locality, where the leaked question papers were allegedly distributed to candidates on the eve of the examination. The CBI continued its interrogation of the principal of a Hazaribagh school, with sources saying that a key focus is on the strong connections between the NEET (National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test) and UGC-NET paper leaks at the school, which was a centre for both examinations, both conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Questions are being raised as to how the school, already under suspicion with regard to NEET, was allowed to remain a venue for UGC-NET, which was conducted over a month later. The CBI also gained custody on Thursday of Baldev Kumar, alias Chintu, and Mukesh Kumar, two accused who had been arrested by the Bihar Police’s Economic Affairs Unit which had been previously investigating the case. The Central agency brought them to its office in Patna for questioning after a medical check-up. On Wednesday, a special CBI court granted custody of them to the CBI till July 4. After questioning Mr. Prakash and Mr. Kumar on Thursday, the CBI arrested both men. The CBI continued its intensive questioning of Oasis School principal Ahsanul Haque in Hazaribagh for the second consecutive day. The agency has detained seven people in Hazaribagh, including the principal. Electronic devices, including the printer from the principal’s office, were seized from the Oasis School, CBI sources said. During questioning, the CBI found that the Oasis School had been an examination centre for both the NEET-UG exam, held on May 5, and the UGC-NET exam held on June 18. The Union Education Ministry cancelled the UGC-NET exam a day after it was held on the basis of inputs that the integrity of the examination had been compromised. Given that the Oasis School was already under scanner in the NEET paper leak case, agency sources asked how the NTA had selected the school as a centre for the UGC-NET exam as well. The Bihar police had earlier said that a partially burnt question paper seized from the play school in Patna matched with the question paper received from the NTA. The series of that question paper had then been sent to the examination centre at the Oasis School, they said. On Wednesday, the CBI had questioned the SBI bank officials and the courier company responsible for transporting NEET question papers. [Opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc will move adjournment motions in both the Houses of Parliament on Friday over the alleged irregularities in NEET and paper leaks in other public exams]( The decision was taken at a meeting of the Opposition bloc, held at the official residence of Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was present at the meeting attended by floor leaders of parties in the alliance. An adjournment motion is a tool that seeks to stop all other businesses of the House and take up the issue for which the motion has been moved. While the government is unlikely to agree to such a motion, sources indicated that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is ready to answer queries on all issues regarding NEET and other public exams and steps taken to strengthen the NTA, which conducts many of these exams. In her address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday, [President Droupadi Murmu said the Union government is fully committed to a fair investigation in the recent incidents of paper leaks and ensure that the guilty are punished]( While President Murmu spoke about the NEET issue in Parliament, a few kilometres away at Jantar Mantar, there were back-to-back [protests with students and youth leaders demanding the dissolving of the controversy-riddled NTA]( and the resignation of Mr. Pradhan. Two protests took place simultaneously — one by the Congress’s youth wing, which resulted in detentions, and the other by multiple student outfits that have come under the banner of “India Against NTA”, which saw the participation of two elected MPs, Raja Ram Singh from Bihar and Shashikant Senthil from Tamil Nadu. The NTA continued to face the heat over the conduct of the NEET-UG test with the [Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court seeking its response to separate petitions raising grievances with respect to the uploading of the optical mark recognition (OMR) sheets]( by the agency prior to the announcement of the results and out-of-syllabus questions. The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][​]( arrest: on the case of Arvind Kejriwal]( [Arrow][Net damage: On the fisheries dispute, India and Sri Lanka]( The Hindu’s Daily Quiz WikiLeaks’ journey began in which year, when the website was first established and its domain name registered by Julian Assange? - 2006 - 2009 - 2013 - 2011 To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here](. [Sign up for free]( Today’s Best Reads [[Watch: Kallakurichi hooch deaths | A blot on Stalin’s government] Watch: Kallakurichi hooch deaths | A blot on Stalin’s government]( [[INDIA bloc plans adjournment motions in both Houses of Parliament on NEET issue] INDIA bloc plans adjournment motions in both Houses of Parliament on NEET issue]( [[Why has CBI arrested Arvind Kejriwal and what happens next? | Explained] Why has CBI arrested Arvind Kejriwal and what happens next? | Explained]( [[SC, Delhi HC seek NTA response on pleas raising grievances on OMR sheets and out-of-syllabus questions in NEET-UG] SC, Delhi HC seek NTA response on pleas raising grievances on OMR sheets and out-of-syllabus questions in NEET-UG]( Copyright© 2024, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please [try here]( Manage your newsletter subscription preferences [here]( If you do not wish to receive such emails [go here](