A Delhi court on Saturday sent the alleged kingpin of the NEET paper leak, Kulkarni, and another accused, Waghmare, to 10-day custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Special CBI Judge Ajay Gupta passed the order after the probe agency argued that the duo needed to be taken outside the national capital for further investigation and that the larger conspiracy had to be probed.
The CBI submitted before the court that Kulkarni and Waghmare were key figures in the leak of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) question paper, which affected thousands of medical aspirants across the country. The agency emphasized that custodial interrogation was essential to uncover the entire network involved in the conspiracy and to recover crucial evidence.
Court Proceedings
During the hearing, the CBI informed the court that the accused had not been cooperating fully and that their custody was necessary to unearth the modus operandi of the entire racket. The agency also stated that it needed to take the accused to various locations outside Delhi to trace the origins of the leak and identify other conspirators.
The defense counsel opposed the remand application, arguing that the accused were being falsely implicated and that there was no evidence linking them to the leak. However, the court rejected the arguments and granted the CBI 10-day custody.
Investigation Details
The CBI has been investigating the NEET paper leak case since it came to light earlier this month. Multiple arrests have been made, and the agency has been conducting raids at various locations. The leak is believed to have compromised the integrity of the examination, leading to widespread protests by students and demands for a re-examination.
The agency has also been probing the role of other individuals, including officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET. So far, several suspects have been taken into custody, and the investigation is ongoing.
The court's order comes as a significant step in the probe, as the CBI now has the opportunity to interrogate the key accused in depth and gather evidence that could lead to the arrest of other members of the conspiracy.
