Sanjeev Mukhia Arrested in NEET UG 2024 Paper Leak Case: Timeline, Modus Operandi & All You Need to Know

One of the most controversial education scandals The NEET-UG 2024 exam paper leak case is currently being talked about. As per the latest reports , Sanjeev Mukhia has been behind the large-scale exam scams. After months on the run, he was arrested by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police in Patna.

Who is Sanjeev Mukhia?

Sanjeev Mukhia, who is also known by his alias "Lutan", is considered the mastermind of multiple paper leak rackets across India. He comes from Nalanda in Bihar and has been accused of leaking the NEET UG 2024 question paper along with several other competitive exam papers over the past decade.

He began his criminal track record as early as 2010, with his first arrest in 2016 for leaking a medical entrance paper in Uttarakhand. Despite this, he managed to stay active in the system, often escaping serious punishment due to lack of evidence.

How was the NEET-UG 2024 paper leaked? The Modus Operandi

NEET UG 2024 was scheduled for May 1, 2024, but the examination was sabotaged by a shocking leak that surfaced just days before the test. According to investigation reports, Mukhia's gang got access to the question paper in advance and distributed it to select candidates for a hefty amount.

This incident caused widespread outrage among students and parents, shaking trust in India's examination system. As a result, CBI and EOU Bihar launched a full-scale investigation, naming Mukhia as the primary accused in the NEET paper leak case.

The investigation revealed that Mukhia leads a vast interstate network of exam fraudsters. His gang has operated in states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal. This "exam mafia" is mainly involved in leaking recruitment and entrance exams such as NEET, constable exams, and teachers' recruitment tests.

Whenever a new exam is announced, the gang begins their work to obtain and leak the paper using insiders and fake candidates, which often involves lakhs of rupees in bribes and payments.

Rs. 3 Lakh Cash Rewards Announced for Information On Accused

To catch Mukhia and his key associates, the Bihar Police had earlier announced cash rewards up to Rs. 3 lakh as per a TOI report. His nephew Shubham Kumar and associate Rajkishore Kumar Shah were also declared wanted in the case, with rewards of Rs 1 lakh each announced for their arrest. Both CBI and Bihar Police tracked leads across state borders and even into Nepal, where he was suspected to be hiding.

Other Paper Leak on National Exams He was involved with

The NEET UG paper leak isn't the only incident. Sanjeev Mukhia is also accused of leaking the Constable Recruitment Exam, which was held on October 1, 2023; the Teachers' Recruitment Exam (March 15, 2024); and the Haryana Veterinary and English Teachers Exams. Because of these paper leaks, the examination was cancelled, which affected a large number of candidates. These kinds of paper leaks exposed serious flaws in exam security and monitoring systems which need major reform as of now.