Coordinated with inter-state aides to leak NEET paper: ‘Kingpin' Sanjiv Mukhiya tells CBI
The alleged mastermind of the 2024 NEET-UG paper leak, Sanjiv Kumar alias Sanjiv Mukhiya, told the CBI during questioning that he 'coordinated with his inter-state accomplices and people from Bihar' to commit the crime and that his aides had provided logistics to members of the 'solver gang', sources said.
Bihar's Economic Offences Unit (EOU) arrested Saniiv Mukhiya and two others from Danapur on Friday in connection with five cases, including two lodged in 2024.
He is one of the main accused in the Patna NEET-UG paper leak case of May last year. The case, which was first probed by local police, was later handed over to the EOU. The CBI subsequently took over the case. So far, at least 20 chargesheets have been filed in the case and 37 people, including Mukhiya, has been arrested.
Mukhiya has also been named the main accused in the 2023 teachers recruitment examination (TRE-II) paper leak.
Mukhiya was on Saturday remanded in EOU custody for three days. He was questioned by both EOU and CBI officers.
Sources said the CBI asked Mukhiya to reconstruct the events leading to the NEET paper leak in Patna and about the 'solver gang', which would allegedly hire scholars to solve leaked question papers of competitive examinations. The questions also touched on his connection with the owners of Patna's Learn Boys Hostel and Play School, where some exaninees were allegedly called to revise solved answers a day before the NEET-UG examination. Burnt solved answers were found from the premises of the school by Patna police.
Mukhiya, who also faced cases of cheating and fraud in 2012 and 2013, is from Nagarnausa, Nalanda. He got the monicker, Mukhiya, because his wife Mamata Devi had been a village head. Devi had unsuccessfully contested the 2020 Assembly elections.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
25 minutes ago
- Indian Express
TRAI is not calling: Scammers impersonating officials are fooling even the smartest
In a chilling case from Chandigarh, an elderly woman lost over Rs 2.5 crore to fraudsters who posed as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They accused her of links to criminal activity and claimed an FIR had been filed against her. The situation escalated when others – posing as CBI officers and even the Chief Justice of India – joined the call, and threatened that her number would be deactivated. Intimidated and confused, the woman ended up sharing her bank details, leading to massive losses. Chandigarh Police are investigating the case. TRAI is a body that regulates telecommunication services and conserves the interest of the aid providers and customers. Priyanka Kulkarni, manager, telecom, media and technology, growth advisory at Aranca, said, 'As telecom fraud evolves in India, TRAI impersonation scams have reached an 'industrial scale'. According to her, scammers combine advanced technology with psychological manipulation to deceive even the most vigilant consumers. 'These scams typically begin with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls from international or spoofed numbers (often starting with +65, +67, +670, +8, +85, or +977) leveraging India's low international call termination charges to flood users with convincing threats,' she said. Kulkarni shed light on how these scammers operate. They use Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems to deliver pre-recorded messages in Hindi or English, claiming to be TRAI officials and warning that the recipient's SIM card will be blocked or their number is linked to illegal activities like money laundering. 'Some calls even point to problems with (Know Your Customer) KYC verification or billing, demanding immediate resolution through sharing personal data,' she said. What makes these scams particularly convincing is their multi-layered approach, Kulkarni said. 'Scammers 'escalate' the situation and victims are transferred to 'officials' speaking in regional dialects to build trust, and are then shown fake government documents as proof. They're sometimes held in long video calls to prevent outside interference and pressured into making urgent payments or sharing data,' Kulkarni said. Shubham Singh, a cyber security expert, explained how the scam operates at multiple levels: 🎯Caller ID Spoofing: Fraudsters use technology to make it appear as if the call is coming from a government or TRAI-like number. 🎯Fake Warnings: Victims are told their SIM will be blocked due to illegal activity or non-verification. 🎯Fake Offers: Scammers offer benefits (like free upgrades or refunds) and ask for OTPs or personal data. 🎯Phishing Links: SMS containing malicious links that appear to be from official portals or apps. Fraudsters clone official websites, and victims are tricked into believing the sites are legitimate, leading them to share their credentials. 🎯Social Engineering: They manipulate victims emotionally, fear of losing mobile service to rush decisions. Priyanka said scammers target sensitive personal and financial data of the victims like Aadhaar numbers, PAN card numbers, bank account details, credit or debit card details, One-Time Passwords (OTPs), and other KYC (Know Your Customer) credentials. Financial theft: Scammers use stolen bank or card details to withdraw money directly or make unauthorised purchases in the victim's name. Identity theft: With access to Aadhaar, PAN, and bank information, fraudsters create fake identities to open accounts, apply for loans, or commit other crimes. SIM swapping: Using KYC data, scammers get a duplicate SIM issued to intercept OTPs and bypass two-factor authentication, gaining access to banking, email, and social media accounts. Continued extortion: Victims are blackmailed with fake legal threats like 'digital arrest' and are coerced into sending more money under pressure. Not every message that says it is from TRAI or your telecom provider is real and knowing the difference can save you from serious trouble. Start with the sender: Genuine messages always come from official, easily recognisable sender IDs, not from random mobile numbers or foreign codes. Watch the language: Scammers often try to create urgency and panic using phrases like 'your number will be disconnected today!' and fill messages with bad grammar or odd formatting. Real messages are clear, calm, and professional. Remember what real officials don't do: Neither TRAI nor your service provider will ever ask you for your Aadhaar, OTPs, or bank details over a call or text. If they do, it's a scam. Trust your instincts: If something feels off, too aggressive, too urgent, or just unusual, it probably is. Take a moment, verify before you act. Singh listed steps users should have in mind to stay safe from scams: 🎯Never share OTPs or banking details: No official will ever ask for your OTPs, PINs, or bank account info over a call. 🎯TRAI doesn't make personal calls: TRAI or telecom companies do not call users to verify numbers, ask for Aadhaar, or threaten disconnection. 🎯Don't click on strange links: If you get a suspicious link via SMS or WhatsApp, don't open it, it could lead to phishing or malware. 🎯Double-check from official sources: For any telecom-related notice or clarification, visit 🎯Use the TRAI DND app: Enable Do Not Disturb (DND) through the official app to reduce spam calls and messages. 🎯Install a caller ID app: Apps like Truecaller can help identify known scam numbers or shady callers before you answer. 🎯If you fall prey to such scams, report them via the Sanchar Saathi Portal. It is an official platform by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to help users detect and report telecom fraud. Visit: 🎯'Report a Cyber Fraud' to flag suspicious activity. 🎯'Report Suspected Mobile Connection' if someone else is using your identity. 🎯Check your mobile records: See how many SIM cards are issued in your name. 🎯Instantly request disconnection of any unauthorised numbers/ 'Regulatory vigilance alone isn't enough,' said Neehar Pathare, CEO of 63SATS Cybertech. He stressed the need for collaboration between regulators, service providers, cybersecurity experts, and users. 'We must authenticate sender IDs, adopt AI-driven fraud detection, and scale digital awareness,' he said. The Safe Side: As the world evolves, the digital landscape does too, bringing new opportunities—and new risks. Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, exploiting vulnerabilities to their advantage. In our special feature series, we delve into the latest cybercrime trends and provide practical tips to help you stay informed, secure, and vigilant online.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Delhi court acquits former coal secy HC Gupta, 2 senior officials over Jharkhand block allocation ‘scam'
A Delhi court Friday acquitted former coal ministry officials H C Gupta (secretary), K S Kropha (joint secretary) and K C Samaria (coal allocation director) in a case linked to alleged irregularities in the allocation of the Mahuagarhi coal block in Jharkhand to the company M/s Jas Infrastructure Capital Pvt Ltd (JICPL). While the three men – represented by advocates Rahul Tyagi and Mathew M Phillip – were acquitted, Special Judge Sanjay Bansal of Rouse Avenue Court convicted the firm JICPL and its director Manoj Kumar Jayaswal. Arguments on their sentence will be heard on July 8. The allegations in the case were that JICPL had misrepresented various facts in its application and had fraudulently obtained the allocation of the coal block. Allegations against the public servants were that they had acted in a manner which was 'detrimental' to public interest and that they had allowed JICPL to 'misappropriate' nationalised natural resources. In December 2016, a trial court in Delhi had framed charges in this case for alleged offences under sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Initially, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed a closure report in this case in April 2014, stating that no case was made out against the accused. A detailed closure report was filed on October 14, 2014. The court had on November 20 that year disagreed with the CBI's conclusion and held that a case was made out for taking cognisance of the alleged offences against the accused. A Delhi court had in 2018 sentenced Gupta, Kropha and Samaria to three years' imprisonment in a case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the allocation of Moira and Madhujore (North and South) coal blocks in West Bengal to Vikash Metal and Powers Ltd. In 2017, the three were convicted in a case related to irregularities in the allocation of Thesgora-B Rudrapuri coal block in Madhya Pradesh to Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd (KSSPL). Towards the end of its tenure, the UPA 2 government started being perceived as corrupt due to allegations connected with the 'coal scam'. A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report had at the time pegged the loss to the exchequer at Rs 1.8 lakh crore. While 27 of the 54 cases being investigated by the CBI have been disposed of, the other half are still pending a decade later. With this case, the CBI has achieved 19 convictions. Three of its cases have ended in acquittals and two in discharge. In the aftermath of the alleged coal scam, on August 25, 2014, the Supreme Court cancelled the allocation of 204 coal blocks, deeming them illegal and arbitrary. Additionally, it also levied a penalty of Rs 295 per tonne of coal that had already been mined over the years. In his book titled Supreme Court and the Indian Economy, Pradeep S Mehta states that the apex court's decision increased the current account deficit by US$ 700 million due to additional coal imports. 'Around Rs 4.4 lakh crore was the estimated loss in royalty, cess, direct and indirect taxes, etc,' wrote Mehta, citing an SBI research report. Former Solicitor General of India Harish Salve had stated that the decision cost the economy 1 per cent of the GDP.
Deccan Herald
2 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Supreme Court allows NBE to hold NEET-PG 2025 exam on August 3
The top court, however, clarified no further time would be granted to NBE for holding NEET-PG 2025 examination.
