CBI Charges Experts in NEET UG Paper Leak Case with Serious Offenses
CBI's Allegations Against Subject Experts
New Delhi, August 7 - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) informed a Delhi court that three subject experts from the National Testing Agency (NTA) violated their 'confidentiality obligations' by leaking the question papers for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for undergraduate courses. According to the charges, each accused could face life imprisonment and fines up to one crore rupees. The investigation agency categorized them as 'public servants' since they were entrusted with the responsibility of handling confidential materials, namely the question papers.
NEET UG Examination and Subsequent Developments
The NEET UG exam is conducted by the NTA for students aspiring to enroll in medical courses. Amidst allegations of paper leaks, the NTA canceled the NEET UG exam scheduled for May 3, later rescheduling it for June 21.
Resignation of Education Minister and Expert Involvement
Following protests related to the NEET paper leak, Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from his position as Education Minister. The CBI's chargesheet identifies the three experts involved: Manisha Gurunath Mandhare (Biology), P.V. Kulkarni (Chemistry), and Manisha Sanjay Hawaldar (Physics), all of whom had signed a 'confidentiality certificate'. The chargesheet states that they declared they were not directly or indirectly associated with any coaching for entrance exams conducted by the NTA.
Breach of Confidentiality and Investigation Findings
They also committed to writing or typing the questions themselves and ensuring that the question papers would be securely locked during their possession, with no notes or copies allowed. However, the CBI's final report revealed that Mandhare conducted coaching classes at her residence in Pune, Kulkarni held 'special classes' for candidates shortly before the exam, and Hawaldar was involved in disseminating confidential question papers through various means. The investigation found that Hawaldar was assigned confidential tasks related to Physics and, despite being bound by a confidentiality oath, participated in leaking and distributing Physics questions before the exam.
Legal Implications and Charges Filed
The report indicated that Hawaldar used electronic means to send materials, assisted in printing and supplying leaked question notes, maintained contact with co-accused, and allegedly did this for financial gain. The CBI has filed charges against all three experts under the Prevention of Corruption Act, as they were appointed by the NTA as 'subject experts' and were responsible for confidential materials. In this capacity, they are considered 'public servants'. Under this act, the maximum penalty for the three accused could be up to 10 years of imprisonment and fines. Additionally, the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 316(5) stipulates that the harshest punishment for betrayal by a government employee is life imprisonment.
Further Charges Under Examination Act
The CBI has also invoked provisions of the Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act against these three experts, which includes allegations of organized paper leaking, punishable by a minimum of five years and a maximum of ten years in prison, along with fines of at least one crore rupees.