Tejashwi Yadav's aide booked room for NEET-UG 'accused', claims Bihar dy CM

NEET-UG row: Bihar Minister Vijay Sinha has asked Tejashwi Yadav to reply to the allegations made against his aide Pritam Kumar

Bihar deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha on Thursday claimed that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav’s aide Pritam Kumar booked a room for one of the persons implicated in the NEET-UG or National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test paper leak row.

Sinha was referring to accused Sikander Kumar Yadavendu, who has been arrested by the Bihar police for allegedly plotting the paper leak incident.

“When Lalu Prasad Yadav was jailed in Ranchi, Sikander Kumar Yadavendu used to be at Lalu’s service,” Sinha said during a press conference, adding that the accused was an engineer in the irrigation department.

“On May 1, Tejashwi Yadav’s personal secretary Pritam Kumar called guesthouse worker Pradip Kumar to book a room for Yadavendu... On May 4, Pritam Kumar called Pradip Kumar again to book the room,” Sinha said, adding that the word ‘mantri’ was used for Tejashwi Yadav.

Pradip Kumar, who was also present at the media brief, claimed that he was called by Pritam to book a room for Yadavendu on May 1 and again on May 4.

“I asked for a requisition, on which he said that it would be given by them,” he is seen saying in the video.

NEET-UG exam was conducted on May 5.

The Bihar minister has asked Tejaswi Yafav to clarify the controversy. Yadav is yet to react to the matter.

Arrested candidate confesses to paper leak

Besides Yadavendu, 13 others have been arrested by the Bihar police’s Economic Offences Unit (EOU) including Anurag Yadav, an aspiring student; and two accomplices named Nitish Kumar and Amit Anand.

Notably, arrested candidate Anurag Yadav, who is said to be the nephew of Yadavendu, has confessed that he had gotten the leaked question paper a day before his exam. 

He said that after he returned from Kota, he was taken to Amit Anand and Nitish Kumar by his uncle on the night of May 4. In a confession note to Patna police, he further said that he was provided with the question paper and asked to memorise the answers overnight and said that paper matched with the exam, held next day.

A huge uproar has erupted over the issue as candidates across the country staged protest, demanding re-examination and abolishing of the National Testing Agency, the body which conducts the examination.

After the results were announced on June 4, it was seen that an unprecedented 67 students had emerged topper with a perfect score. The development, coupled with earlier suspicion over paper leak fuelled the massive controversy.

The matter is being heard by the Supreme Court, which has asked the NTA and the education ministry to take responsibility if any mistake has been made.

(With inputs from ANI)