Patna: The Patna High Court granted bail to Sikandar Yadavendu, an accused in the sensational NEET-UG 2024 question paper leak case, Wednesday.
The bail comes as a significant relief to Yadavendu and his family, following months of intense media scrutiny and allegations by the investigating agencies.
The case was initially registered under Shastri Nagar Police Station Case No. 358/2024 and later handed over to the Economic Offence Unit (EOU of Bihar Police and then to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which officially took charge of the investigation June 23, 2024.
During the hearing, Yadavendu’s counsel, Apoorv Harsh, argued that the allegations against his client were baseless and unsupported by evidence.
He further stated that Yadavendu’s only involvement was in arranging a hotel room for his family members and that he had no role in the alleged conspiracy, including leaking the paper or facilitating solver gangs.
The High Court, while granting bail, directed Yadavendu to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation and law enforcement authorities.
The case has been high-profile since its inception, drawing widespread media attention. Sikandar Yadavendu was widely portrayed as the “mastermind” in initial media reports, which had a severe reputational impact on him and his family.
With the bail order, the court has provided some measure of vindication.
The CBI had filed its first FIR naming eight accused, including Sanjeev Mukhiya, Ayush Raj, Rocky, Amit Anand, Nitish Kumar, Bittu, Akhilesh, and Sikandar Yadavendu.
Of these, Yadavendu is the first to be granted bail by the High Court. So far, over 30 suspects have been arrested in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak.
The investigation continues under the supervision of central agencies. The main mastermind, Sanjeev Mukhiya, is still absconding since the case surfaced May 5, 2024.
He is a native of Nalanda district, and CBI has raided several places and also questioned his relatives to find some clues about his hideouts.
IANS
