Patna High Court Grants CBI Custody in NEET-UG Paper Leak Case

The Patna High Court has granted the CBI custody of 13 individuals arrested in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak case. This allows the central agency to interrogate the suspects, including the alleged kingpin Rakesh Ranjan. The order was given despite initial resistance due to procedural delays.

The Patna High Court on Friday granted the CBI custody of 13 persons arrested by Bihar Police in the NEET-UG paper leak case, allowing the central agency to question them and confront the alleged kingpin, Rockey alias Rakesh Ranjan, who was arrested on Thursday.

The CBI had sought custody of these individuals, initially arrested by state police and placed in judicial custody after a brief police remand. The central probe agency's request was earlier denied by the Exclusive Magistrate, CBI, Patna on July 2, but the High Court overturned this decision.

According to sources, the 13 accused had been in custody for a mere two to four days prior to being sent to judicial custody. The CBI argued that it should be allowed to remand them for the remaining period that could be up to 13 days. Justice Sandeep Kumar upheld this argument, emphasizing the seriousness of the case and the interest of justice. The agency's investigation has so far led to six FIRs and 57 arrests related to alleged exam irregularities. The NEET-UG, conducted for medical admissions, saw over 23 lakh candidates this year.