NEET-UG row: CBI arrests suspected key conspirator from Jharkhand's Dhanbad

New Delhi, July 04: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the suspected key conspirator in connection with the irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG case, said the official.

According to the official, the suspected key conspirator, identified as Aman Singh, was arrested in Dhanbad, Jharkhand.

Earlier on Friday, the CBI nabbed two accused, namely -- Dr. Ehsaan Ul Haq and Imtiaz Alam -- who were working as the principal and vice principal of the Oasis School in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh.

Haq was appointed the city coordinator by the NEET-UG exam 2024.

This also follows two more arrests made by the central agency in Bihar's Patna.

A senior official with the CBI confirmed the arrest of two people identified as Manish Prakash and Ashutosh.

The arrested individuals were found to be operating from Patna.The official said that while the accused, Ashutosh, was arranging safe house premises for the students, the other accused, Manish, used to take the candidates to a school to 'prepare' them for the exam.

"Manish Prakash transported the students in his car. While the students were accommodated in Ashutosh's house," the CBI officer pointed out.

Earlier last month, the central government entrusted the CBI with the matter pertaining to the irregularities in the NEET-UG case for a comprehensive investigation.

Accordingly, the CBI registered multiple FIRs in the case, related to reported paper leaks, impersonation of candidates and cheating.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the NEET-UG examination, is facing criticism over alleged irregularities. This prompted a series of protests across the country, with demonstrators and political parties demanding to disband the NTA.

Meanwhile , the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on July 8 a batch of pleas alleging paper leak and irregularities in the NEET-UG exam.

According to the cause list for July 8 uploaded on the top court's website, the pleas are listed before a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

The apex court had earlier sought a response from the NTA on pleas seeking a fresh NEET-UG, 2024 examination amid allegations of a paper leak and said the "sanctity" of the exam has been affected and it needs an answer from the testing agency.

The apex court had told the National Testing Agency (NTA) that if there is any negligence in conducting the NEET-UG 2024 exam, it should be dealt with thoroughly.

The Centre and the NTA had, on June 13, told the apex court that they had cancelled the grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates and candidates were given the option to either take a re-test on June 23 or forgo the compensatory marks awarded for loss of time. A total of 813 students appeared for the retest held on June 23 across seven centres.