NEET-UG Retest in Jhajjar, Haryana Amid Allegations of Paper Leak

On Sunday, students gathered at a school in Jhajjar, Haryana, to retake the NEET-UG exam. This retest comes amid an investigation into an alleged paper leak, with investigators in Bihar and Jharkhand scrutinizing the breach.

The investigation into the paper leak has unveiled concerning details about the handling of the exam materials. Authorities in Bihar and Jharkhand found that the question papers were transported by a courier company using an e-rickshaw, revealing significant laxity.

In Bihar, investigators discovered that the serial codes on burnt question papers matched those from an examination center in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. This led to suspicions about potential breaches in the "chain of custody." Sources indicate that the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) in Bihar identified the conduct of a courier company handling the transport of question papers between Ranchi and Hazaribagh as particularly negligent.

The probe revealed that the courier company handed over nine packets of question papers to a transport company, intending for them to be delivered to strongrooms in two public sector banks. However, on May 3, two days before the exam, the transport company's vehicle dropped the packets at a sub-center in Hazaribagh's Oreya area instead of the designated banks.

A source disclosed that the packets were subsequently sent to a bank branch via an e-rickshaw, with CCTV footage capturing this at 1:30 pm on May 3. This indicated a severe lack of seriousness on the part of the courier company in handling the exam papers. When questioned, the courier company claimed they had no control over the driver responsible for delivering the papers.

A top officer from Bihar's EOU explained to The Indian Express, "Since students received the paper before the examination, it shows there was leakage in the chain of custody, which is sacrosanct. The courier and transportation companies, as well as the strongrooms, are all part of this chain of custody. The probe is now with the CBI, but we were close to zeroing in on the leak."

The EOU's investigation led to the arrest of six men from Deoghar, Jharkhand. These individuals, originally from Bihar, were living in Jharkhand disguised as laborers. Hazaribagh Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar Singh noted that Jharkhand Police did not provide inputs to the EOU but facilitated the investigation by allowing them to question a few people.

A senior police officer mentioned that any findings requiring further investigation would be shared with the CBI. This ongoing investigation has highlighted significant lapses in handling sensitive examination materials, emphasizing the need for stringent measures to prevent such leaks in the future.