Key mastermind behind NEET scam – 7th arrest by CBI

According to the sources, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the alleged mastermind behind the ongoing National Eligibility cum- entrance test (NEET-UG) scam in the country.

Arman Singh from Dhanbad district of Jharkhand is said to be the person responsible for the case. This arrest is the seventh since NEET-UG probe case.

The accused has been arrested on 3 July 2024 by probes following a tip-off.

Earlier this Sunday, Owner of a private school was taken in custody in Godhra district of Gujrat- the arrest before the latest. Dixit Patel was the owner of school named Jay Jalaram School in Panchmahal District, Gujrat. According to the reports he was responsible was asking 5-10 Lakhs rupees worth of money from NEET students. This money was illegally taken with a promise of good marks in UG examination for those students. The arrested asked the candidates not to fill up a answer if they did not know it, instead it was filled later by taking 10 lakh rupees by each one of them.

Similarly, on 29 June another alleged was arrested from Hazaribagh named Jamaluddin Ansari who is a marketing professional. Earlier that day, two other people from Oasis school were arrested by CBI- principal Ehsanul Haque and vice principal Imtiaz Alam. The principal was appointed as coordinator by the National Testing Agency (NTA) itself.

Lastly, two more suspects were arrested by probes named Manish Prakash and Ashutosh Kumar. These are alleged to rent a hostel and play school in Patna, Bihar to leak the NEET paper. The locations were used to meet with the 27 candidates and get the answers memorized by them.

What leaders say?

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last week visited several locations of Godhra, Ahmedabad, Kheda and Anand to solve the NEET scam.

Recently, Kiren Rajju, Parliamentary Affairs minister gave a statement. The minister quoted that strict action would be taken against the conspirators under the new anti- paper leak law of Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Act 2024. Kiren Rajju in press conference also slammed opposition by indicating how sensitive issues like these tend to turn into ‘dirty politics’.

The prime minister on 2 July addressed country saying that NEET issue is being tackled with seriousness. He also said that the issue will be prevented in future as it greatly hampers mental health of students. “Those who jeopardize with the youth of the country will face severe repercussions.”- PM Modi says.

Currently, the central government is facing lashes from Congress over the matter of NEET scam.

President Murmu addressed the issue by urging ‘to rise above party politics’ and tackle the issue with unity and collaborative efforts.

Background and other landmarks of the conspiracy

National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts several exams for undergraduate and post graduate students every year. NEET-UG is given for medical students who want to become doctors and enroll for admission in medical colleges across India.

When the results were declared on 25 May 2024, several students were left disheartened as record breaking number of candidates had secured full 720 marks. This had created a conspiracy among people and demand for investigation.

Several students protested against the paper scam. On Wednesday students protested in Jantar Mantar, New Delhi to show their disapproval for the matter. Also the president of India youth party in its press conference declared that they will be holding a protest at Jantar Mantar on 8^th of July 2024.

Many students after the declaration of results were quite aggravated and depressed as some of them even attempted suicide as an option. With the ongoing incidences and arrests by probe agency it is expected that the NEET- UG exam held in August will be delayed.