The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed its first chargesheet in the NEET UG paper leak case, listing a total of 13 accused in the document.
The accused persons named in the chargesheet include Nitish Kumar, Amit Anand, Sikander Yadvendu, Ashutosh Kumar-1, Roshan Kumar, Manish Prakash, Ashutosh Kumar-2, Akhilesh Kumar, Avdesh Kumar, Anurag Yadav, Abhishek Kumar, Shivnandan Kumar and Ayush Raj.
So far, the federal probe agency has arrested 40 persons in the case, including 15 arrested by the Bihar Police.
Additionally, the agency has conducted searches at as many as 58 locations in connection with the alleged paper leak and irregularities in the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test - Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2024 examination.
The case in the paper leak, which was initially registered at Patna's Shastri Nagar Police Station in Bihar, was later transferred to the CBI.
The agency said that it has utilised advanced Forensic Techniques, Artificial Intelligence Technology, CCTV footages, location analysis, etc., to gather evidence against the accused.
Notably, the central probe agency has so far lodged six FIRs in the case, in which the one from Bihar pertains to paper leak while the remaining ones from Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra are regarding impersonation of candidates and cheating.
The agency's own FIR is on the basis of a complaint from the Union Education Ministry to comprehensively investigate the alleged irregularities in the NEET UG 2024.
Pronouncing its verdict on the pleas seeking re-examination amid the paper leak allegations last month, the Supreme Court had said that if re-test is to be ordered, then it needs to be on "concrete footing".
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud had said that the it has to be proved that the paper leak was so "systemic" and affected the medical test in such a manner that it warrants the cancellation of the entire examination.
The NEET exam was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 5 at 4,750 centres across 571 cities, including 14 abroad. More than 23 lakh candidates had appeared for the national level medical entrance test.
The NEET UG exam is conducted for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions.
