Patna: Fresh allegations of irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 have once again triggered nationwide outrage, reviving memories of the infamous 2024 Bihar paper leak case that exposed a sprawling interstate examination racket.At the centre of the 2024 scandal was Sanjeev Kumar Singh alias Lutan Mukhia, the alleged mastermind of the racket and a former technical assistant at a govt horticulture college in Nalanda. Mukhia, who remained absconding for years in several examination fraud cases across the country, was arrested by Bihar’s Economic Offences Unit (EOU) in April 2025 from a flat in Danapur, Patna.EOU deputy inspector general (DIG) Manavjit Singh Dhillon said Mukhia is currently lodged in jail and has been remanded several times in connection with six to seven active cases.“Mukhia operated a vast network with dedicated associates handling different examinations. Chargesheets have already been filed in the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) and constable recruitment examination cases, with trials underway in some matters,” Manavjit told this newspaper on Tuesday.Apart from the 2024 NEET paper leak case, Mukhia is also accused in several other major examination frauds, including the 2017 NEET paper leak, Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission examination irregularities, the 2016 Bihar Police constable recruitment examination and the BPSC TRE-3 controversy.The renewed focus on the scandal comes after serious allegations surfaced regarding the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3 with reports claiming that a circulating “guess paper” closely matched a substantial portion of the actual question paper.The controversy has brought back memories of the 2024 Bihar leak, which came to light dramatically on May 5, 2024, while the examination was underway.Acting on specific intelligence inputs, Patna Police intercepted a white car bearing a Jharkhand registration number near the Shastri Nagar area. During the search, police recovered photocopies of NEET admit cards from the vehicle and arrested Sikander Yadavendu, driver Bittu Kumar and others.Subsequent interrogation led investigators to a building in Khemnichak under Ramkrishna Nagar police station limits, housing Learn Play School and Learn Boys’ Hostel.Investigators found that more than 20 medical aspirants from different districts of Bihar had allegedly been brought there a day before the examination and were reportedly provided leaked question papers along with answer keys.In return, candidates and their families allegedly paid between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 50 lakh or more.During searches, police recovered admit cards, mobile phones and several crucial documents. Investigators also found partially burnt question papers at the hostel, with serial codes later traced to an examination centre in Hazaribag, Jharkhand, establishing key links in the interstate conspiracy.The probe exposed the operations of a sophisticated solver gang and an organised network spread across multiple states.Initially investigated by Patna Police and the Bihar EOU, the case was later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) amid mounting national pressure.So far, more than 50 people have been arrested in connection with the 2024 NEET paper leak case, including alleged masterminds, school administrators, middlemen, medical students and NEET aspirants.With fresh allegations now clouding NEET-UG 2026, attention has once again shifted to systemic loopholes and vulnerabilities in one of India’s most crucial entrance examinations.
