NEW DELHI: The CBI, which is probing the highly controversial NEET-UG exam paper leaks, has registered yet another case in connection with 4 lakh ‘fake students’ detected in Haryana government schools in 2016.
Interestingly, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had handed over the case to the CBI on November 2, 2019, but the federal probe agency registered an FIR only earlier this week, after a delay of nearly five years.
Meanwhile, sources said that the CBI had approached the Supreme Court claiming that the investigation may require huge manpower and the probe should be handed over to the state police. The apex court dismissed the petition recently, after which the CBI registered the FIR.
According to the FIR, the High Court was informed in 2016 that a verification of data revealed that there were 22 lakh students in government schools in different classes, but only 18 lakh students could be verified and four lakh were fake admissions.
The court was also told that certain benefits were being given to the students who belong to backward or poor sections of the society to encourage them to attend schools.
The High Court had ordered the state vigilance to appoint a senior officer to enquire into the suspected siphoning off of funds for four lakh “non-existent” students and had ordered fixing of responsibility.
On the vigilance bureau’s recommendations, seven FIRs were registered in the state. In its 2019 order, the High Court noted that the investigation had been “very slow” and ordered to transfer of the probe to the CBI to expedite it.
At snail’s pace
Interestingly, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had handed over the case to the CBI on November 2, 2019, but the federal probe agency registered an FIR only earlier this week, after a delay of nearly five years.