Patna, April 10: In a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the NEET-UG 2024 question paper leak, the Bihar Police have announced a reward of Rs 3 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of Sanjeev Kumar Singh alias Sanjeev Mukhiya, the alleged mastermind behind the scandal.

A formal letter was issued from the office of Kundan Krishnan, Additional Director General (ADG) of Bihar Police Headquarters, notifying the public about the bounty. A reward has also been announced for two others accused.

The officials said that police personnel or any individual who successfully helps to arrest the absconding accused will get the reward.

The notification will be valid for two years, which means if any police personnel arrest these three criminals within two years, they are entitled to the reward amount.

The other two accused are Shubham Kumar and Rajkishore Kumar. Bihar Police announced a bounty of Rs 1 lakh each on their heads. Subham is a resident of Beechbazar under the jurisdiction of Sohsarai Police Station in the Nalanda district and is involved in two cases.

Raj Kishore Kumar was also involved in two cases and is a resident of Bakhtari village under the Karpi Police station limit in the Arwal district.

The police have urged the public to come forward with credible information about the whereabouts of the absconding accused.

All identities of informants will be kept strictly confidential, and they will be entitled to the announced rewards, the officials have said.

Sanjeev Kumar Singh, alias Sanjeev Mukhiya, is an accused in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case registered initially in Shastri Nagar Police Station (Case No. 358/2024), Constable Recruitment scam, Teachers Recruitment scam, and another pending case. Mukhiya is a native of Shahpur Balwa village under the limit of Nagarnausa Police Station in Nalanda district.

The NEET-UG paper leak scandal was unearthed on May 5, 2024, when the Patna Police detected irregularities during the nationwide medical entrance exam.

The investigation was first handled by the Shastri Nagar police, then transferred to the Economic Offences Unit (EOU), and finally handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on June 23, 2024.

The CBI’s FIR named eight accused, including Sanjeev Mukhiya, Ayush Raj, Rocky, Amit Anand, Nitish Kumar, Bittu, Akhilesh, and Sikandar Yadavendu. Sanjeev Mukhiya has a known history of orchestrating high-profile examination frauds and is now among the most wanted criminals in Bihar.

Mumbai, April 8: Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday targeted the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led MahaYuti government over the death of a pregnant woman, Tanisha Bhise, in Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital at Pune for alleged denial of treatment after demanding a deposit of Rs 10 lakh.

Aaditya has asked why the government is protecting trust and the hospital and not initiating action despite the inquiry committee citing non-compliance with the stipulated norms.

“Everybody is looking at whether Chief Minister Fadnavis will act against the trust and the agency running the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune that demanded 10 lakh rupees from the woman for delivery. Her inability to pay this ransom led to her demise,” said Aaditya in his post on ‘X’, a day after the consulting obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Sushrut Ghaisas resigned.

He said that the internal committee denied the charge (of demanding a deposit of Rs 10 lakh by DR Ghaisas), while on Monday, a doctor admitted and resigned from the administration.

“How can Punekars trust such a hospital that speaks two different things to save itself and not the patient? If the hospital was demanding ransom money, what about the hospital’s tax and municipal dues? It’s in crores! Will the agencies go knocking on the doors of the trustees and agencies running this hospital?” he questioned.

Aaditya further asked, “Who is running this hospital and why is it so influential that the Chief Minister has to defend it?”

Dr Ghaisas, who, after a check-up of Tanisha Bhise on a case paper demanded a deposit of Rs 10 lakh, resigned on Monday, citing intense public anger, social media backlash, and threat calls as reasons.

Tanisha Bhise later died at another facility after giving birth to twin daughters.

Dr Dhananjay Kelkar, medical director of the hospital, told reporters: “In his resignation letter, Dr Ghaisas stated that he is under tremendous mental pressure due to public outrage, criticism and threats. He fears this will impact his ability to treat other patients and may also compromise the safety of his family. To avoid injustice to his work, he has decided to resign.”

He said that the hospital administration has forwarded the resignation to its trustees, and it is expected that it will be accepted, adding that Dr Ghaisas will complete his scheduled surgeries and work until Thursday.

Incidentally, the preliminary report prepared by the five-member inquiry committee chaired by Deputy Director Pune Circle Dr Radhakishan Pawar has blamed the hospital for the violation of provisions from the Hospitals Act by not giving primary treatment and later referring the case for further treatment.

The committee was established by the Public Health Department amid protests against the hospital.

According to the committee, the hospital has also violated the provisions of the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950, which clearly mentions that in an emergency, the Charitable Hospitals must attend to the patient immediately and provide essential medical facilities for all life-saving emergency treatment and procedure, and toll stabilisation.

Kolkata, April 8: The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday whether the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should probe the West Bengal cabinet, which approved the creation of supernumerary posts in state-run schools allegedly to accommodate “tainted” candidates getting teaching and non-teaching jobs against payment of money.

The opposition BJP had said in case the Supreme Court lifts the earlier interim stay on the CBI probe in the matter, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would also come under the purview of the probe since as the head of the cabinet she would not be able to avoid responsibility of the decision for creation of supernumerary posts.

The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Monday, said that after Om Prakash Chautala of Haryana, Mamata Banerjee will be the second chief minister of an Indian state to be behind bars in an education scam.

In April 2024, a three-judge Bench of the apex court headed by the erstwhile Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, stayed an earlier order by the Calcutta High Court directing the CBI to undertake further investigations into the approval for supernumerary posts.

In that order, the Calcutta High Court also observed that the CBI, if necessary, will undertake the custodial interrogation of people involved in the matter.

While the stay by the apex court in April 2024 came as an interim relief for the state Cabinet, the matter will again come up for hearing at the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

In fact, the Calcutta High Court, while ordering the CBI probe into the matter earlier, also questioned the sanctity of the decision approving the creation of supernumerary posts.

Ever since information on the matter surfaced, the state government and the ruling party have come under scathing attacks from Opposition parties who claimed that the decision in the matter was not to accommodate genuine candidates but to protect the jobs of tainted ones.

Political observers feel that hearing in the matter (of the creation of supernumerary posts) has come at a double headache for the state government and the ruling Trinamool Congress which are already strained by an apex court order last week. The Supreme Court upheld an earlier order of a division bench of the Calcutta High Court cancelling 25,753 teaching and non-teaching jobs in state-run schools.

Both the Supreme Court and Calcutta High Court had observed that the cancellation of the entire panel of 25,753 appointments was because of the failure of the state government and West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) to segregate the “genuine” candidates from “tainted” ones .