No evidence against Sanjeev Mukhiya in 2024 NEET case, but 45 others booked: CBI issues clarification after Jairam Ramesh and other opposition leaders accused govt of not taking action

The Central Bureau of Investigation has clarified that it found no evidence linking Sanjeev Kumar, alias Sanjeev Mukhiya, to the NEET (UG) 2024 examination question paper leak case. The agency has filed multiple chargesheets against 45 persons identified as part of the conspiracy, but not Sanjeev Mukhiya due to lack of evidence. The CBI issued the clarification after several opposition leaders alleged that the agency had failed to file a chargesheet against the “main accused” in the NEET (UG) 2024 case.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the setting up of fast-track courts to deal with paper-leak cases, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed that the CBI had failed to file a chargesheet against the “main accused” Sanjeev Mukhiya within the stipulated time, which allowed him to secure default bail.

In a post on X, Ramesh said, “there has been no transparency on what happened to those accused in the 2024 NEET-UG paper leak. All we know is that the CBI failed to file a chargesheet against the main accused Sanjeev Mukhiya on time, allowing him to be released on bail. We also know that the CBI filed a closure report stating that no irregularities occurred in the UGC-NET exam of 2024 which had been cancelled by the NTA back then. But the CBI’s reason for filing this closure report is not known.”

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal also alleged that the government was shielding the so-called mastermind of the 2024 NEET paper leak after reports of CBI not naming Sanjeev Mukhiya in the case. He posted on X, “In 2024, the NEET paper was leaked. The Modi government arrested the mastermind behind it. Then, the CBI deliberately did not file the charge sheet within the time limit, which allowed him to get automatic bail within just three months.”

These remarks, together with ongoing student protests led by Cockroach Janta Party, led to widespread claims on social media that Mukhiya had been deliberately left out of the CBI’s chargesheets despite being named in the original Bihar Police FIR.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the CBI firmly rejected the suggestion of any deliberate omission, describing the narrative as factually incorrect. The agency reiterated that its thorough investigation had already identified every individual involved in the theft and distribution of the stolen question paper, as well as the candidates who benefited from it, and that multiple chargesheets had been filed against 45 persons. No evidence linking Mukhiya to the NEET-UG 2024 conspiracy had emerged, a position the CBI stated it had adequately clarified as early as 2024.

The CBI stated that Bihar Police had initially registered a case after detecting the theft of the NEET-UG 2024 question paper and named Mukhiya as an accused on the basis of prima facie suspicion arising from his alleged involvement in other examination paper theft and leak cases. The matter was subsequently transferred to the CBI for a thorough probe.

During investigation, the agency identified every person involved in the theft and onward distribution of the stolen paper, as well as the candidates who benefited from it. Multiple charge sheets were filed before the jurisdictional court in Patna. However, the CBI did not come across any evidence to establish Mukhiya’s role in the NEET-UG 2024 conspiracy. The agency expressed satisfaction that the entire conspiracy and all persons involved had been identified.

Mukhiya, a resident of Nagarnausa village in Nalanda district of Bihar, had remained absconding for a prolonged period. He was later arrested by Bihar Police in connection with other cases. Since he was a named accused in the NEET-UG FIR as well, the CBI took him into custody for examination in that matter. As no evidence of his involvement emerged, the agency did not file a chargesheet against him in the NEET-UG 2024 case. He subsequently availed bail in the CBI case.

Despite the bail in the NEET matter, Mukhiya continues to remain in judicial custody as he faces charges in several other cases being investigated by Bihar Police. Over the years, he has been linked to multiple examination paper leak rackets. These include the 2016 Bihar Public Service Commission constable recruitment examination paper leak, for which he was earlier arrested, as well as the Bihar teachers’ recruitment examination.

Investigative agencies have also associated him and his network with paper leaks in other competitive examinations, including those in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, spanning a period of nearly two decades. His son, Dr Shiv Kumar, has also been arrested and remains in jail in connection with related paper leak cases.

The CBI emphasised that the issue regarding Mukhiya’s non-involvement in the NEET-UG 2024 case had been adequately clarified in 2024 itself. It described the current narrative suggesting deliberate omission of his name as factually incorrect, reiterating that a detailed investigation had left no one involved in the conspiracy beyond the reach of the law.

Notably, the claim of Jairam Ramesh that CBI said no irregularities were found in the 2024 NEET is incorrect, as the agency has filed cases against 45 accused in the case.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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