ED duty-bound to investigate NEET question paper leak: petitioners in Supreme Court
The petitioners said investigation into the “scam” should proceed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and the Information Technology Act, 2000
Students who have approached the Supreme Court against the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the undergraduate National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2024 have filed an application demanding that the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) is “duty bound to take cognisance of, investigate and secure punishment” to the accused persons behind the question paper leaks.
The application, filed by Shivangi Mishra, represented by advocates Mathews Nedumpara and Usha Nandini, has also urged the Supreme Court to implead the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED in the apex court.
The petitioners said investigation into the “scam” should proceed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 and the Information Technology Act, 2000.
“The Enforcement Directorate is duty bound to take cognisance of, investigate and secure punishment. The NEET Exam, which now has undoubtedly been exposed to be a scam, has its tentacles in different parts of the country… Until and unless the Enforcement Directorate takes cognisance of the matter or the Supreme Court directs the Enforcement Directorate to take action, the accused will not be brought under the stringent provisions of the PMLA,” the application noted.
The application has been filed in the apex court even as the Centre informed the NEET case had been transferred to the CBI on Saturday. It has sought expedited probe and the filing of an interim report on the Bihar arrests, ahead of the commencement of the counselling process on July 6.
The petitioners have also called for the cancellation of the entire examination.
“The consequence arising out of the question paper leak which the Patna Police has now unearthed leaves the authorities with no option than to cancel the entire examination and conduct it afresh in the most foolproof manner. The mafia that has been in the business of procuring the question paper and selling the same to medical students for lakhs of rupees, an extremely profitable venture, could manage do so for quite some time with impunity in collusion with those in charge of the conduct of the examinations, has now been fully exposed,” the application said.
The application alleged that the “culprits have even given confessional statements detailing who all they sold the papers to, for what price, and the manner in which the money was transferred”.
The Supreme Court has scheduled the case for detailed hearing on July 8.
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