New Delhi: Sanjeev Mukhiya, the alleged mastermind behind the NEET-UG 2024 question paper leak, was arrested on Thursday night by the Bihar Economic Offences Unit (EOU) in Patna. Naiyar Hussain Khan, Additional Director General of the Bihar EOU, confirmed the arrest.

Earlier, on April 9, the Bihar Police had announced a reward of Rs 3 lakh for information leading to Mukhiya’s arrest. Two other individuals—Shubham Kumar and Rajkishore Kumar—were also the subjects of a bounty, with Rs 1 lakh offered for each. The police pledged strict confidentiality for informants and assured them of the reward for any credible information.

The NEET-UG 2024 question paper was stolen from the control room of OASIS School in Hazaribagh on May 5, 2024. The theft occurred after the trunks containing the question papers were brought from the bank vault. According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Pankaj Kumar, an accomplice, was granted access to the control room by the school’s Principal Ahsanul Haque and Vice Principal Imtiyaz Alam.

"The accused Pankaj Kumar was clandestinely allowed entry into the control room by Ahsanul Haque, the Principal, and Imtiyaz Alam, the Vice Principal of the school, as part of the conspiracy. Pankaj Kumar tampered with the hinges of the trunk containing the question papers, removed one question paper, photographed all its pages, replaced the paper and resealed the trunk, and exited the control room," the CBI stated.

The stolen papers were then scanned and distributed to prearranged locations, where members of the accused gang received the leaked exam papers. Candidates who had paid in advance were allowed access to these locations. After completing their exams, they were prohibited from taking printed copies with them.

Mukhiya’s background

Sanjeev Mukhiya, also known as Sanjeev Kumar Singh, has a history of involvement in various fraudulent activities, including recruitment scams. His involvement in the NEET-UG paper leak is the latest in a series of high-profile examination frauds in Bihar. Mukhiya had been evading arrest since May 2024, and his capture marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation.

Originally filed at Shastri Nagar Police Station, the case was transferred to the EOU and later to the CBI. The investigation revealed that Mukhiya is also linked to other scams, including the constable recruitment and teacher recruitment frauds. Mukhiya had been one of Bihar's most wanted criminals before his recent arrest.