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Journalism of Courage
One of the people suspected of being behind an alleged question paper leak in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) that was conducted on May 5 has told the Bihar police that four aspirants had gathered at a location chosen by him a night before the exam and “memorised answers” of questions from the paper.
One of the four aspirants, who allegedly solved and memorised the answers, also gave a statement to the police that he had gone to Patna from Kota after his relative – one of the main accused – assured him that the NEET question paper could be arranged for him before the test.
These statements were recorded on May 5, after the test, at Shastri Nagar police station in Patna, where the case into the alleged paper leak was lodged.
While an exam conducting agency, as a matter of principle, cancels an exam upon evidence of paper leak, the government’s actions in the past have not been uniform upon discovery of leaks.
In 2018, for instance, the government had cancelled and reconducted the class 12 CBSE board exam for Economics once it was discovered that the paper had been leaked on WhatsApp. However, for the Class 10 Mathematics paper, which was also leaked, the government acknowledged it but didn’t reconduct it. It cited the results analysis of candidates in Delhi, Patna and Panchkula regions to show it didn’t show any spike in results or unusual advantage.
NTA chief Subodh Singh didn’t respond to calls and a text message asking if the NTA would cancel the NEET-UG paper in wake of the confessional statements of candidates who were arrested by Bihar police.
Bihar police have arrested 13 people in connection with the case. They are currently lodged in a Patna jail.
The statements of all 13 accused had been recorded under CrPC section 161, which may not be admissable before court. The Economic Offences Unit (EOU), which took over the case, however, has not yet recorded statement of any of the accused under CrPC section 164, which is admissible before court as these statements would be recorded in the presence of a judicial officer.
All 13 accused, including four examinees, were booked under IPC sections of 407, 408 and 409, which deal with criminal breach of trust, and 120B, which deals with criminal conspiracy.
Nitish Kumar, a resident of Gopalpur in Patna, is the main accused and allegedly one of four “setters”. He told Shastri Nagar police station sub-inspector Rej Narayan Singh on May 5: “My friend, Sikandar P Yadvendu, a resident of Danapur, Patna, is junior engineer with municipal council of Patna. I met him along with my friend Amit Anand at Yadvendu’s Danapur office, in connection with some personal work. During the course of conversation, Amit and I told Yadvendu that we could leak papers of any competitive examinations. At this, Yadvendu asked about NEET examination paper leak. We said it would cost Rs 30-32 lakh per student.”
“Yadvendu said he would give us four students. Four students were called by Amit on night of May 4 and made to solve leaked question paper and menorise its answers,” the statement said.
Yadvendu was arrested first, after police recovered burnt question papers from a house at Rajbanshi Nagar, Patna, where the four students were allegedly given the leaked question papers. Nitish Kumar, Amit Anand and others were arrested after that.
Nitish Kumar said he had been jailed earlier this year also in connection with an alleged paper leak in a Bihar Public Services (BPSC) examination.
One of the four arrested examinees, who is from Samastipur, said in his confessional statement to the police that he had been preparing for NEET-UG examinations in Kota, when Yadvendu “told me to come down to Patna to write NEET-UG paper assuring that sab setting ho gaya hai (leaked question papers would be made available)”. He said he was dropped off at a place with Amit Anand and Nitish Kumar on May 4 night, “where question paper and answersheet of NEET exam were given. I was made to study and memorise in the night. My examination centre was in DY Patil School. The question paper which was memorised was the same question which appeared in the examination”.
The 13 who were arrested are:
* Sikandar P Yadavendu (56): A junior engineer with the Town and Planning department of Bihar government, he allegedly introduced three candidates, including two relatives, to two alleged “main setters” Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand. The EOU has not found any involvement of Tejashwi aide Pritam Kumar who Sinha said is linked to Sikandar.
* Bittu Kumar (38): Driver of Sikandar Yadavendu. He is a resident of Barkagaon, Rohtas.
* Nitish Kumar (32), a resident of Gaya who has been living in Gopalpur, Patna, is allegedly one of the two “main setters” looking for candidates seeking the question paper.
* Amit Anand (29), a resident of Mangal Bazar in Munger, who has been living in Shastrinagar, Patna, where a case of the alleged paper leak was lodged on May 5. It is alleged that Anand is one of the paper leak masterminds.
* Roshan Kumar (35), a resident of Ekangarsarai, Nalanda, has been living in Rajiv Nagar, Patna. He is said to be an associate of Amit Anand. It is alleged that his role was to convince candidates to buy the question paper.
* Ashutosh Kumar (30), a Jamui resident living in Rajiv Nagar, Patna. He is said to be an associate of “main setter” Amit Anand.
* A candidate from Danapur, Patna, who allegedly approached the “main setters”.
* A candidate from Ranchi is one of the accused. He is said to have approached the “main setters” via Sikandar.
* A candidate from Hasanpur in Samastipur. He is said to be known to Sikandar.
* A candidate from Gaya.
* The father of a candidate from Danapur, Patna. It is alleged he reached out to the two “main setters” for the question paper.
* The father of an accused candidate.
* The mother of a candidate close to Sikandar.
