The Central Bureau of Investigation filed the third charge sheet in connection with the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2024 question paper leak case before the Special Court for CBI cases in Patna against 21 accused, the agency sources said on Saturday.
The CBI filed the second charge sheet against six accused on September 20 in the case. The second charge sheet was filed against six accused individuals, namely Baldev Kumar alias Chintu, Sunny Kumar, Ahsanul Haque (Principal, Oasis School, Hazaribagh and City Coordinator of Hazaribagh), Md. Imtiyaz Alam (Vice-Principal, Oasis School and Centre Superintendent), Jamaluddin alias Jamal (Reporter of a Newspaper, Hazaribagh) and Aman Kumar Singh.
The charge sheet was filed under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy), Section 109 (Abetment), Section 409 (Criminal Breach of Trust), Section 420 (Cheating), Section 380 (Theft), Section 201 (Causing Disappearance of Evidence), and Section 411 (Dishonestly Receiving Stolen Property).
Additionally, substantive charges were invoked under Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) against the Oasis School’s principal, who was appointed as the city coordinator, and the vice principal, who was appointed as the centre superintendent by the NTA for the conduct of the NEET UG-2024 examination.
CBI filed the first charge sheet against 13 accused on August 1, 2024.
The investigation has revealed that Ahsanul Haque, Principal of Oasis School, in his capacity as City Coordinator, Hazaribagh for the NEET UG 2024 exam, along with Md. Imtiyaz Alam, the Vice-Principal of the same school and the Centre Superintendent for the NEET UG 2024 exam conspired with other accused to steal the NEET UG question paper.
The CBI initiated investigations earlier this year following a controversy over alleged irregularities in the conduct of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2024.