WhatsApp Clue & MyGate Trail: How CBI Cracked NEET Paper Leak!
WhatsApp Clue & MyGate Trail: How CBI Cracked NEET Paper Leak!
Explosive details reveal how a WhatsApp message and MyGate app logs helped the CBI unravel the NEET-UG paper leak, exposing an organized racket. Get the full story!
A seemingly innocent WhatsApp message from a parent, inquiring about chemistry professor PV Kulkarni's address to gift him a watch, unknowingly triggered the extensive CBI investigation into the NEET-UG paper leak. This initial clue, combined with a meticulous scan of the MyGate access control app used in residential societies and analysis of a WhatsApp group humorously named 'Fifa world cup', proved instrumental in tracing the students who purchased leaked papers and ultimately, the question setters responsible.
The CBI's chargesheet details how MyGate app logs corroborated the presence of students at the apartment of the arrested accused, Kulkarni, matching their mobile logs and confirming their location. Kulkarni, engaged as a subject expert (chemistry) by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for NEET-UG 2026, was central to the scam. Despite being sworn to secrecy, Kulkarni exploited his position, sharing questions with students who paid for "special classes" conducted in his apartment just before the exam. This greed undermined the NTA's security measures, which had not anticipated subversion by its own subject experts.
The investigation further revealed the organized gang's method: Kulkarni and other accused paper setters would memorize or mark questions while setting them at the NTA's office. They would then transcribe these questions at a hotel and pass them on to others in the racket. Handwritten notes found matched the leaked question papers, and Kulkarni's seized phone contained pre-exam leaked papers, as well as contacts with candidates, parents, and co-accused. Nine images of the chemistry question paper and answer slips matching the NEET-UG exam were found on his device, confirming the leak's extent.
The NEET-UG 2026 exam, originally scheduled for May 3, was cancelled due to the paper leak and was subsequently reconducted on June 21. The CBI's probe highlights significant vulnerabilities in the NTA's logistical chain and the organized nature of the fraud, with leaked materials even being disseminated through coaching centers in Rajasthan. The 94-page chargesheet names 13 accused, including three Pune-based subject experts who exploited lapses within the NTA building where question setting and translations were conducted.
