NEET-UG case: CBI questions first-year MBBS student at RIMS

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is questioning a first-year MBBS student from the 2023 batch of RIMS in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak case, an official said on Friday, 19 July.

The student, who stays at the girls’ hostel of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), formerly known as Rajendra Medical College and Hospital (RMCH), an autonomous institute under the Jharkhand government, was approached by the CBI earlier this week for questioning.

"The CBI team is questioning a first-year student. The team contacted the hospital management on Wednesday saying they wanted to question her in connection with the NEET paper leak. The management extended full cooperation to the team. On Thursday too, they grilled her and said she will be questioned further," RIMS PRO Rajiv Ranjan told PTI.

The official said parents of the student had contacted the management and were briefed about the situation.

On the same day in neighbouring Bihar, the CBI arrested four MBBS students of AIIMS Patna as part of their investigation into the paper leak case.

The arrests were made two days after the agency arrested Pankaj Kumar alias Aditya, a 2017-batch civil engineer from the National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), who allegedly stole the NEET-UG paper from the NTA trunk in Hazaribagh.

The CBI had also arrested one Raju Singh who allegedly helped Kumar in stealing the paper, they said.

The agency, which is probing the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam, has lodged six FIRs so far.

NEET-UG, conducted by the National Testing Agency, is a national-level examination for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other medical courses in government and private institutions.

This year, the exam was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 abroad. More than 23 lakh candidates had appeared for the test.