NEET-UG paper leak Row: Patna HC grants CBI custody of 13 people arrested by Bihar Police

The Patna High Court, on Friday, July 12, granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the custody of 13 people arrested by the Bihar police in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak case.

The central probe agency will now be able to question these accused in custody and also confront them with kingpin Rockey alias Rakesh Ranjan who was arrested on Thursday, July 11.

As reported by PTI, CBI had sought the custody of the 13 individuals, arrested by the state police, who were subsequently sent to judicial custody following a brief period of police remand.

The CBI plea was turned down by the Exclusive Magistrate, CBI, Patna on July 2 on the grounds that the statutory period seeking police custody within the first 15 days since the arrest had elapsed.

The CBI challenged the order in the High Court saying that it had taken up an investigation in June and should be given a chance to examine the suspects arrested by the state police.

The central agency had said the accused arrested by the state police had not even undergone 15 days of police custody.

According to sources, the accused were in the custody of the Patna Police and Economic Offence Units of the Bihar Police for just two to four days and sent to judicial custody.

The CBI argued that it may be given the custody of these accused for the remaining period of their police remand which could be from 11-13 days which was granted by the high court.

"Considering the seriousness of the case and in the interest of justice, the operation of the order passed by the Exclusive Magistrate shall remain," Justice Sandeep Kumar held.

Justice Kumar directed the Exclusive Magistrate to grant the custody of the 13 accused to the CBI on Friday, July 12, itself.

"The Exclusive Magistrate, CBI, Patna will grant the remand on the CBI producing the webcopy of the order. The Superintendent of the Beur Central Jail, Patna/any other jail in which the Respondents are in custody will give the custody to the CBI today itself and will hand over the accused persons to the CBI and will not delay the handing over of the Respondents on any ground," he said.

The CBI, which is probing the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam, has registered six FIRs in the matter so far with nearly 57 arrests in which 12 were made by the central agency while remaining were various state police forces.

Twenty-two persons have got bail so far, PTI added.