JEE Main-2021 scam: Delhi Court extends CBI custody of Russian national

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Anjani Mahajan after hearing the Prosecution's plea allowed the extension of CBI remand for three more days.

CBI had registered a case in September 2021 against a Private Company, its Directors, three employees, and other persons on the allegations of irregularities in JEE (Mains) Exams 2021 while the examination was still going on.

It was alleged that a private educational institution, its directors, their touts/associates had connived with the staff posted at the examination centre to tamper with the examination system.

The said company and its directors were allegedly manipulating the online examination of JEE (Mains) and facilitating aspiring students to get admission in top NIITs in exchange for huge amounts of money by solving the question paper of the applicant.

In this regard, searches were conducted in Delhi, NCR, Pune, Jamshedpur, Indore, and Bengaluru, and several laptops, PCs, and post-dated cheques along with voluminous incriminating documents were seized.

During the investigation, CBI came to know that some foreign nationals were also involved in many online examinations including JEE (Mains) colluding with other accused.

CBI arrested a foreign national and mastermind of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2021 paper leak case after his arrival from Kazakhstan.

CBI alleged that he was the mastermind in the case who has hacked the software of examination.

It was alleged that the accused used to obtain mark sheets, the User IDs, Passwords, and Post Dated Cheques of aspiring students and once they got admission, they used to collect huge amounts of money from the candidates.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) requested the court to extend the CBI custody of the Russian contending that the accused is required to be confronted with the data extracted from his phone and laptop etc.

The Investigating Officer of the case said "We are questioning to ascertain the role of the other people involved in the case and identifying the people who were giving instructions to him."

Counsel for the Russian National opposed the remand application of CBI by submitting that the accused has cooperated in the investigation and already two days PC remand of the accused was granted, so no further police custody remand of the accused should be allowed.

(With UNI inputs)