Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha has stirred controversy by implicating Tejashwi Yadav, former Deputy CM and leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), in the alleged National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak. Sinha’s accusations came amid ongoing investigations into the scandal, which has rattled the state’s education system and raised questions about the integrity of competitive exams.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday (June 19), Vijay Kumar Sinha claimed that Sikandar Yadvendu, the prime accused in the NEET paper leak case, has familial ties to Pritam Kumar, the personal secretary of Tejashwi Yadav.
According to Sinha, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police, which took over the investigation last month, uncovered compelling evidence linking Yadvendu to the illicit dissemination of NEET question papers.
“Sikandar Yadvendu is closely related to Tejashwi Yadav’s personal secretary, Pritam Kumar. On May 4, an NHAI guest house in Patna was booked under Yadvendu’s sister Reena Yadav’s name, along with his son Anurag Yadav. The guest house log mentions a contact number associated with ‘Mantri Ji,’ whose identity the investigating agency is diligently pursuing,” Sinha asserted.
Bihar Deputy CM Vijay Sinha’s big accusation on RJD’s Tejaswi Yadav
Sinha claims that accused arrested in #Neet paper leak are close associates of Tejaswi pic.twitter.com/02GYkVQJpF
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) June 20, 2024
The Deputy CM, who also oversees the state’s road construction portfolio, further disclosed that he has initiated an internal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the NHAI guest house booking. “I have directed my department to thoroughly investigate any involvement of government officials or employees acting on the instructions of Tejashwi Yadav. The entire modus operandi of the RJD is built upon criminal activities and corruption,” Sinha added.
The allegations surfaced after the EOU reported findings suggestive of a NEET paper leak prior to the examination held on May 5. The investigation revealed that Yadvendu, employed as a junior engineer at the municipal committee of Danapur, orchestrated an elaborate scheme involving several candidates and their parents.
“Of the total 13 individuals apprehended in connection with the case, four were NEET candidates, while others included their guardians and members of an organised interstate gang. The gang reportedly conducted a mock examination for 35 candidates, providing them with the leaked NEET question paper and answers at a school under Ramakrishna Nagar police station’s jurisdiction,” an EOU official informed.
Responding to the allegations, RJD national spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta dismissed Sinha’s statements as premature and cautioned against drawing conclusions based on unverified media reports. “Deputy CM Sinha must refrain from making irresponsible statements without concrete evidence from the ongoing EOU investigation. As for allegations linking Sikandar Yadvendu to Tejashwi Yadav’s staff, it is incumbent upon the NDA to substantiate claims about Yadvendu’s employment history and his alleged connection with the opposition leader,” Mehta asserted.
The controversy has heightened political tensions in Bihar, with both the ruling coalition and the opposition trading barbs over accountability and transparency in governance. As the investigation progresses, stakeholders await further developments to ascertain the veracity of the allegations surrounding the NEET paper leak scandal.
