Amid the NEET irregularities, India Today's special investigation team tracked down a key member of the paper leak network, who explained the intricate layers of the operation.
Bijender Gupta was involved in multiple paper leak cases in the past, and was arrested twice but managed to evade the police.
He added that the paper leak targeted 700 students, and the racket aimed for Rs 200–300 crore.
Sharing detailed insights into the operations of the paper leak industry, Bijender Gupta explained how boxes are broken during transportation and blacklisted companies manage to get tenders.
He had nearly Rs 30 crore debt, but he never moved away (from the paper leak racket)," he added.
Amid the NEET irregularities, India Today's special investigation team tracked down a key member of the paper leak network, who explained the intricate layers of the operation. Bijender Gupta was involved in multiple paper leak cases in the past, and was arrested twice but managed to evade the police.
With 24 years in the paper leak business, he was involved in the cases pertaining to the 2023 Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC) exam, the Bihar Public Service Commission and the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission.
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Prior to the NEET-UG 2024 exam taking place, a video of him from March predicting that the question paper for the medical entrance test would be leaked, had gone viral. In the video, Gupta - masked - claimed that Vishal Chaurasia, currently behind bars in the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) teacher recruitment exam and Odisha Junior Engineer paper leak cases, may leak the NEET-UG paper as well.
In the sting by India Today, Bijender Gupta said that key accused in the NEET-UG scam, Sanjeev Mukhiya, who is on the run, wouldn't be caught. He added that the paper leak targeted 700 students, and the racket aimed for Rs 200–300 crore.
Sharing detailed insights into the operations of the paper leak industry, Bijender Gupta explained how boxes are broken during transportation and blacklisted companies manage to get tenders.
Gupta bluntly summed up the operations. "Jail jayenge, phir bail, aur phir shuru hoga khel (there's jail followed by bail, and the game goes on)," he said in the sting.
On being asked if he got calls following his viral video predicting the NEET-UG paper would be leaked, Gupta said no one had his number.
"All the noise happens when something goes wrong. NEET paper has happened. The investigation by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) is in the right direction. NTA (National Testing Agency) cannot comprehend this," Bijender Gupta said in the sting.
He also explained how boxes containing the question papers are broken during transportation, claiming blacklisted firms get tenders. Gupta said that breakage happens when logistics companies transport the question papers to different test centres.
"Multiple methods are adopted for the leaking. For example, connecting with government strongmen and the printing press, among others," Bijender Gupta said in the India Today sting.
His insights revealed an established network, wherein even blacklisted companies manipulate tender processes to continue their operations.
Gupta was also asked how he succeeded in leaking papers.
"Have you heard of India's biggest paper leak mafia, Bedi Ram? It happened in Jaunpur when I was his assistant. There was a competent student, and we helped him get a job and in the process went to jail," he said.
Bedi Ram is now an MLA in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur.
SANJEEV MUKHIYA: THE MASTERMIND
Even as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigates the NEET-UG paper leak, and Sanjeev Mukhiya remains at large, Bijender Gupta exposed details of the key accused's gang in the India Today sting operation.
Gupta said that Sanjeev Mukhiya initially used a Bluetooth set to dictate answers to aspirants' ears and help them cheat in entrance exams.
"Sanjeev Mukhiya was in deep in debts for 10 years. He had nearly Rs 30 crore debt, but he never moved away (from the paper leak racket)," he added.
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Bijender Gupta also spoke about how Sanjeev Mukhiya's son, Shiv, who is already jailed for the BPSC teacher recruitment exam paper leak, was involved in the NEET-UG scam.
"There's jail, then bail, and the game goes on. How long can one be kept behind bars?" Gupta said.
He reiterated that the EOU is going right about their probe, saying that the judiciary is on a different level as it operates on evidence. "Police are also tied by the rules of law," Gupta said.
Sanjeev Mukhiya's son had allegedly accommodated around 25 candidates at a boys' hostel, associated with the Learn Play School in Patna on May 4, a day before the NEET-UG exam.
HOW NEET-UG PAPER WAS LEAKED
On being asked how the NEET-UG question paper reached 700 students, Bijender Gupta said that there is a wide network of teams and the leak happened during distribution.
"There were 300 kids in Delhi and Patna and in some other places as well. Teams were sent to 3–4 places. The paper leak happened from there," he explained.
Gupta said that he himself received the question paper two hours before the start of the medical test on May 5.
Published By: sharangee Published On: Jun 25, 2024
