NEET paper leak case: Nine candidates to be questioned in Bihar

The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police will question nine candidates in connection with the NEET question paper leak case in the presence of their parents in Patna on Tuesday, 18 June.

According to an official, EOU has constituted a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe this case. The SIT will quiz them for the next two days. Earlier, Patna Police served notice to 11 candidates to join the probe. Two candidates will join the probe later on.

The SIT wants to know how their roll numbers and roll codes reached the solver gang.

Patna Police had found the roll numbers and roll codes of the 11 candidates linked with a solver gang. When the case was transferred to EOU, it asked the NTA to provide the details on the 11 candidates. After receiving the details, the notice was served to these candidates to join the probe.

The examination of NEET was held on 5 May but examination mafias obtained the question papers a day earlier. The case was cracked by the Patna Police by arresting 13 persons, including six examination mafias, four students and three parents.

The EOU is preparing to take remand of four arrested candidates to know if there is any involvement of 11 suspected candidates.

Earlier, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan accepted that there were some irregularities in some places. He has said that if the senior officials of NTA are also found guilty in this, then strict action will be taken against them. "Candidates and parents should be assured. The Central government has taken this matter seriously. There is a need for improvement in NTA," he said.

The 11 candidates, who will be questioned, are from different districts of Bihar and seven of them are girls.

In the course of the investigation, EOU has asked for the original copy of the question paper received on the morning of 5 May from NTA. However, NTA has not yet sent the original copy of the question paper to EOU, which is affecting the investigation.

Meanwhile, a team of EOU will visit New Delhi to meet with NTA officials regarding this case.