NEET UG Paper Leak: CBI Files New Chargesheet Against 14th Accused
The CBI has filed a supplementary chargesheet against a 14th accused, Sheshrao Bajrang Suryavanshi, in the ongoing NEET UG paper leak investigation.
The investigation into the massive NEET UG paper leak case has taken a significant turn as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) moved to add another name to the list of accused. A supplementary chargesheet has been filed against Sheshrao Bajrang Suryavanshi, marking him as the 14th individual implicated in the high-stakes examination scandal.
The filing took place before a Rouse Avenue court in New Delhi, where Special CBI judge Ajay Gupta officially took the chargesheet on record. The legal proceedings regarding this new development are scheduled to continue on October 22, when the court will hear submissions on the supplementary document.
The Role of the 14th Accused
According to the CBI, Sheshrao Bajrang Suryavanshi, a resident of Pune, Maharashtra, played a pivotal role in the alleged criminal conspiracy. Arrested on September 2, Suryavanshi is described as a close associate of the already accused Shubham Khairnar.
The agency's investigation, bolstered by custodial interrogation, has revealed a calculated scheme to exploit candidates. The key allegations against Suryavanshi include:
- Distribution of Leaked Content: He allegedly arranged for the purported leaked NEET UG questions to be provided to various candidates before the examination.
- The Nanded Safehouse: The investigation suggests that candidates were brought to a specific house in Nanded, where they were supplied with the leaked questions.
- Financial Extortion: Suryavanshi is accused of collecting significant sums of money from candidates and their families in coordination with Khairnar.
- Securing Payments: In a move to ensure he received the promised money, the accused reportedly collected the original educational certificates and documents of the candidates as surety.
Expanding the Web of Conspiracy
While this supplementary chargesheet targets Suryavanshi, the CBI has already moved forward with a primary chargesheet involving 13 other individuals. The court has already taken cognizance of that main filing, which includes a wide array of accused persons involved in the alleged malpractice.
The list of the 13 previously charged individuals includes:
- Manisha Mandhare
- Manisha Sanjay Hawaldar
- Manisha Waghmare
- Prahalad Kulkarni
- Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar
- Dr Manoj Shirure
- Tejas Harshad Shah
- Shubham Khairnar
- Dhananjay Lokhande
- Yash Yadav
- Mangilal Biwal
- Dinesh Biwal
- Vikas Biwal
The CBI has emphasized that the investigation into the arrested accused and their close associates remains at a "crucial stage," as the agency continues to untangle the complex web of the conspiracy that compromised the integrity of the medical entrance examination.