The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday said it found no evidence linking Sanjeev Kumar alias Sanjeev Mukhiya to the theft or distribution of the 2024 NEET-UG question paper, despite him initially being named as an accused by the Bihar Police.
Mukhiya, who was widely suspected to be the kingpin of the alleged paper leak racket, was arrested by Bihar Police in April 2025 after remaining absconding for nearly 11 months. The case was transferred to the CBI on June 23, 2024.
CBI Finds No Evidence
In a statement, the CBI said that while Mukhiya was initially suspected because of his alleged involvement in other examination paper leak cases, its investigation did not establish his role in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak.
“In the course of its investigation, the CBI did not come across any evidence to establish the involvement of Sanjeev Kumar alias Sanjeev Mukhiya in the theft or distribution of the stolen NEET-UG 2024 question paper,” the agency said.
The CBI added that, after a detailed investigation, it had identified the entire conspiracy and those involved in the theft, distribution and receipt of the leaked question paper.
Chargesheets Against 45 Accused
The agency has filed multiple chargesheets against 45 accused before a court in Patna, but Mukhiya’s name does not appear in any of them.
According to the CBI, since no evidence emerged against him during the investigation, it did not file a chargesheet against Mukhiya, following which he secured bail in the NEET-UG case. However, the agency clarified that he remains in judicial custody in connection with other cases being investigated by the Bihar Police.
Why Mukhiya Was Initially Named
The CBI said Bihar Police had initially named Mukhiya in the FIR because he was allegedly involved in several other examination paper leak cases, leading to a prima facie suspicion regarding his possible role in the NEET-UG paper leak.
After taking over the investigation, the CBI took Mukhiya into custody for questioning but said it found no evidence connecting him to the alleged theft or distribution of the question paper.
Political Reactions
The CBI’s statement came amid renewed scrutiny of the 2024 NEET-UG paper leak and ongoing protests over examination irregularities.
Opposition leaders questioned why Mukhiya, initially described as the prime accused, was not chargesheeted. Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal accused the Centre of shielding the alleged mastermind, while the CBI maintained that its conclusions were based solely on evidence gathered during the investigation.
