The CBI is gearing up to take up comprehensive investigation into country-wide reports of deep-rooted racket in the conduct of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) examination 2024, as the students protest intensify seeking accountability of people playing with their future.

Opposition parties have also said that they will raise the serious issue in the opening session of Parliament after the swearing in of newly elected MPs get over on Tuesday and after both the Houses resume normal business.

The CBI’s multiple teams reached out to Patna in Bihar and in Godhra, Gujarat, to probe into allegations of leak of papers and other irregularities in the NEET exam conducted by the NTA.

There is another case being probed by the local police in Latur, also in Gujarat and three more in Jaipur, Rajasthan, said the CBI sources. The Rajasthan High Court on Monday issued notice to the NTA and the Centre, asking it to respond to petitioners’ demand of cancellation of the NEET exam on similar charges of irregularities in the conduct of the entrance test.

The High Court scheduled the hearing in the matter on July 10, two days after the Supreme Court is set to take up similar petitions, including those seeking cancellation of the NEET-UG 2024 exam and a court-monitored investigation.

Agency sources said it’s in the process of taking ‘comprehensive steps’ after the Union Education Ministry announced on Saturday that it was seeking a CBI probe into the alleged malpractices in the conduct of the NEET-UG examination on May 5 in pen and paper mode. The results of the NTA conducted exam were announced on June 4.

High-level committeee

The Union Education Ministry has also constituted a high-level committee of experts headed by a former chief of the ISRO ‘to ensure transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations through National Testing Agency (NTA).’

The central agency will file multiple FIRs on the basis of cases forwarded by respective States or on the orders of courts that want investigations by it since those behind the paper leak and other malpractices in the carrying out examinations across centres appear part of a large design.

The Economic Offence Unit (EOU) of the Patna police, which had been investigating the matter before the Centre ordered a CBI probe, has arrested 18 people in connection with the case. On Sunday, the CBI filed an FIR to probe malpractices in the conduct of the exam.

The EOU officials said they have collected evidence during the course of probe such as pieces of the burnt question paper recovered from a house in Patna, mobile phones of those arrested, SIM cards, laptops, post-dated cheques and reference questions papers provided by the NTA.

A CBI team reached Godhra city in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district on Monday to take over the case registered by the Godhra police on May 8 under various Indian Penal Code sections, including criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal breach of trust. The police are probing charges against five persons for trying to help 27 candidates clear the NEET exam for a sum of Rs 10 lakh each.

So far, the police have arrested those five persons -- Tushar Bhatt; principal of a school, Purshottam Sharma; Vadodara-based education consultant Parsuram Roy and his aide Vibhor Anand; and alleged middleman Arif Vohra -- in the case registered on May 9.

The CBI is also likely to register disproportionate assets (DA) cases against public servants found to be involved in the nation-wide racket.

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