The ED investigation stems from a CBI First Information Report and a cost overview.
New Delhi:
An alleged kingpin of a paper leak in Jammu and Kashmir is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate to see if he has any links with the irregularities in the NEET-UG and UGC-NET exams. Yatin Yadav, the alleged mastermind of the 2022 JKSSB sub-inspector recruitment exam paper leak, was today arrested by the Enforcement Directorate or ED as part of a money laundering case.
According to the ED sources, it is being investigated whether Yadav has any connection with the cases of paper leaks of the key investigations that made headlines recently.
The ED probe stems from a CBI First Information Report and a chargesheet against Yadav, an accused tout, and several others. The ED sources alleged that Yadav, as the 'kingpin' of the alleged paper leak gang, executed a well-thought-out plan involving other accused touts from Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir to arrange candidates willing to get access to the leaked paper against payments ranging from Rs 15. lakh to Rs 30 lakh.
The Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB) Sub Inspector Recruitment Examination was held on March 27, 2022.
After the exam, the candidates' payments – mainly in cash – were forwarded to Yadav's bank accounts, they said.
The ED had earlier seized the bank accounts of Yadav, a company called New Global Fumigation Corporation, and assets of some others worth Rs 1 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of the investigation.
The arrest comes at a time when allegations of irregularities in the conduct of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) and the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) have rocked the country , leading to the Center transferring their investigation to the CBI.
The CBI is investigating allegations of malpractice in both the exams conducted by the National Testing Agency.
The Center on Saturday replaced NTA director Subodh Singh and transferred the probe into irregularities in NEET-UG to the CBI, which is now probing a total of six cases in the matter. Pradeep Singh Kharola took additional charge of NTA on Monday and held meetings with officials of the testing agency.
The Education Ministry had also constituted a seven-member panel headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan to review the functioning of the NTA.
