The Delhi Police said on Friday that it has constituted a Special Task Force (STF) under the crime branch to probe paper leak cases. The development comes as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) continues its protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi over irregularities in the NEET (UG) examination, seeking Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
In an official notification, the Delhi Police said the examination-related offences will be probed by the STF under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and coordinate with other agencies to ensure speedy trails.
The STF will investigate all cases related to exams conducted by agencies such as the National Testing Agency (NTA), the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) and other notified bodies.
The STF will be headed by Crime Branch's Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).
"The Special Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch shall exercise overall supervision and administrative control over the functioning of the STF and issue such directions as may be necessary to ensure effective investigation and diligent prosecution of cases," the Delhi Police's notification read.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently probing NEET paper leak case in May this year and intensified its investigation. Till now, the agency has arrested multiple people, with the government asking it to conduct a comprehensive inquiry over the case.
The government has also approved a draft bill for paper leak cases under which 10 years of jail and a fine of Rs 10 crore will be imposed on the guilty. The bill, which seeks an amendment to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, will be tabled in the Parliament next week.
The bill was approved by the Union Cabinet after Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised stern action in paper leak incidents, saying such cases are no small issues and largely affects the lives of students.
"Our most significant responsibility was to ensure that the students do not lose a year. It was necessary to hold the examination immediately. By using all resources, the government has ensured that 22 lakhs students could attend the retest," said PM Modi in a late-night video on Thursday.
ALSO READ:
NTA sacks 47 officials, more terminations expected in major overhaul amid NEET paper leak protests