The NEET-UG paper leak case has shocked the entire country. The students of the country have expressed their anger over this incident. Many students have taken to the streets to express their anger. A high-level committee has been formed to investigate the case, and shocking details are coming out in this case every day. According to reports, Sanjeev Mukhia from Bihar is the mastermind behind this paper leak case. Over the past 20 years, he has repeatedly been named in the paper leak case. Who is Sanjeev Mukhiya? What are their political connections? Let’s find out about it.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has increased pressure on the Bihar government over Mukhiya’s alleged role in the NEET paper leak case. Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha has alleged that Mukhiya’s wife had contested the election on a Janata Dal (United) ticket. He demanded the cancellation of the 2024 NEET-UG exam and suggested that the “NTA (National Testing Agency) body should be thrown into the Bay of Bengal.” NEET exam is conducted by NTA itself.
Who is Sanjeev Mukhiya?
Sanjeev Mukhia’s real name is Sanjeev Singh. He is a resident of Nagarnausa village in Nalanda district of Bihar. According to ‘News 18’, he is a technical assistant at Nalanda College’s Noorsarai branch. Mukhia has previously worked at Sabur Agricultural College. His wife Mamta Devi was elected as the head of Bhutakhar Panchayat. After that he started being called as ‘Mukhiya’, it has been mentioned in a news report. Devi unsuccessfully contested the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections from the Harnaut seat on a (then joint) Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) ticket, The Hindu reported. According to ‘India Today’, Sanjeev is allegedly part of the ‘Mukhiya Solver Gang’. That gang is involved in recruitment exam cheating and NEET paper leak.
An official of Bihar Police’s Economic Offenses Unit (EOU) told The Hindu that Mukhia remained a Class IV employee and had also worked as a Panchayat head. But, comparatively, they have a lot of money, the official added. Mukhiya’s son Shiv Kumar is a doctor and is currently in jail for his alleged role in the Bihar teacher recruitment exam paper leak case, News18 reported. The boy is also reportedly part of a notorious gang.
Mukhiya has been accused in the paper leak case before. In fact, he was arrested in connection with the paper leak of constable recruitment exam conducted by Bihar Public Service Commission in 2016. Apart from that he has been involved in paper leak cases for the past 20 years.
Chief’s role in NEET-UG paper leak case
According to information received, Mukhiya is the mastermind behind the 2024 NEET-UG paper leak case. An EOU official told The Hindu that the accused first got the NEET question paper and answer sheet from a professor on his mobile phone. “We have received information that Sanjeev Mukhia alias Lutan is the same person; Who first took the question paper and answer sheet from an unknown professor on his mobile phone. He is currently absconding and efforts are on to nab him,” the official told The Hindu.
Some of the accused arrested in the case have revealed that ‘neat’ question papers and answer sheets were distributed to around 25 aspirants on the eve of the medical entrance examination held on May 5; 40 lakhs per candidate was taken from them. NEET examinee Ayush Kumar, who was detained by the police, has made some shocking revelations. “Ayush admitted that he received the NEET-UG question paper on Saturday night, a day before the examination on May 5. He said that the question paper he received was the same as the question paper distributed at the examination centre. Ayush added that 25 other candidates like him were made to memorize the answers to the question papers given to them on the premises of Learn Boys Hostel and Learn Play School,” said a Bihar Police official.
The chief is absconding; However, he has applied for pre-arrest bail through his lawyer in the Patna court, claiming that he is innocent. Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand from Munger, the alleged mediators in the case, are also believed to be working for Mukhiya, an EOU official told The Hindu.
Allegations of RJD
The Bihar government has been accused by the RJD over the NEET paper leak case, especially since Mukhiya’s name came out. The party’s handle on ‘X’ has shared alleged photographs of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s wife Mamta Devi. “Who is protecting Nalanda resident Sanjeev Mukhia, kingpin and mastermind of the paper leak? Isn’t it true that Sanjeev Mukhia’s wife contested for NDA? She was a JD(U) leader. Don’t they have direct access to the Chief Minister’s residence?,” the post also asked. Last week, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s aide was accused of having links to the NEET-UG paper leak.
