Darbhanga/Saran/Begusarai:

Seventeen people, including three women, have been arrested in Bihar for allegedly impersonating candidates in the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET)-2024, police said on Monday.

Police said while 12 were arrested in Darbhanga, four were picked up in Saran, and one in Begusarai.

The arrested people in Darbhanga were identified as Mukesh Kumar, Gurusharan Yadav, Sonu Kumar, Dharmendra Kumar, Vimal Kumar, Raja Kumar, Sunita Kumari, Neetu Kumari, Ishwar Kumar, Shashikant Bharti, Shravan Kumar, and Manoj Kumar.

Darbhanga SSP Jagunath Reddy said the arrests were made based on complaints from invigilators and administrators. Police are also investigating the identities of the genuine candidates.

According to Saran police, “Four persons – Hare Ram Pandey, Suchita Kumari, Jai Kumar Bharti, and Vipul Kumar – were apprehended at various examination centres under the jurisdiction of Bhagwan Bazar police station.” CTET is conducted annually on a national scale for people aspiring to secure teaching positions in government institutions. PTI 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Motihari (Bihar):

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday claimed another bridge in Bihar has caved in, though an official said it was a makeshift structure that got washed away in heavy rainfall.

Mr Yadav, leader of the opposition in the state assembly, shared on his X handle a video of the incident that has taken place in East Champaran district.

In the clip, people can be heard blaming the use of spurious material for the incident in a village falling under the Madhuban block.

PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

बिहार के पूर्वी चंपारण में आज फिर एक पुल और गिरा। सरकार थोड़े गिरी है जो खबर बनेगी?

बीते दिनों में यह वाँ भ्रष्टाचारी पुल गिरा है। पुलिया, सड़क और बाँध टूटने एवं धँसने के तो मामले अनगिनत है। #Bihar
pic.twitter.com/Rzcnm4B5QH

— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) July 7, 2024

District Magistrate Saurabh Jorwal said he was aware of the incident but asserted that it was “not a bridge, not even a causeway”.

“A sewage line passes through Lohargawan village. Some parts of it were uncovered. As per the information we have, a decision was taken at the Panchayat level a few years back to erect a structure across the drain to help people cross it without difficulty”, the DM told PTI over the phone.

Accordingly, the drain was covered with the makeshift structure, not more than a few feet long, he said.

“As is the case with such unregulated works, mud was used and hence it got washed away when heavy rains battered the area. Nonetheless, we are looking into the matter and will do, at our level, whatever is needed,” added the district magistrate.

The incident comes in the backdrop of more than a dozen bridges and causeways collapsing in several Bihar districts in the last couple of weeks, prompting authorities to place under suspension at least 15 engineers, even though no casualties have taken place in such mishaps.

The bridge collapse incidents have also led to a political slugfest, with Mr Yadav training his guns at the Nitish Kumar government, but the ruling NDA shifting the blame on the RJD, pointing out that the Rural Works portfolio was with the party till it was ousted from power in January this year. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Another bridge in Bihar went out of commission today, making it the sixth  in 10 days. The bridge in Thakurganj block sunk by a feet today the water level of the Bund river increased following heavy rains. The surface of the bridge cracked, making it too risky to use.  

The bridge, located in Khoshi Dangi village of Patharia panchayat, was built in 2007-2008 from the MP fund of the then MP Md Tasleemuddin of Thakurganj. But today, it could not withstand the pressure of water.

This bridge connects areas under three to four panchayats and if it collapses completely, it would affect around 60,000 people.

Yesterday, an under-construction bridge in Madhubani region collapsed. Work on the bridge, built at a cost of Rs 3 crore by the Rural Works Department of the Bihar government, has been on since 2021.

Before that, bridge collapses were reported from Araria, Siwan, East Champaran and Kishanganj.

On Thursday last week, a bridge caved in at Kishanganj district. Before that, a bridge under construction collapsed in East Champaran district on June 23. On June 22, a bridge, built over the Gandak canal, collapsed in Siwan.  

The first case was reported on June 19, when a portion of an under-construction bridge collapsed in Araria district.

The frequent collapses have triggered conspiracy theories. “Why have bridges started to collapse only after the Lok Sabha elections?” questioned Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.

“Why were such incidents not taking place 15 or 30 days before? Why have bridges started to collapse only after the Lok Sabha elections? Why are they collapsing now? Is there any conspiracy to defame the state government?” he added.

New Delhi:

The Janata Dal United (JDU) concluded its national executive meeting with a resolution demanding special state status for Bihar. The party, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, emphasized the longstanding need for Bihar to be granted special status, highlighting economic and developmental disparities.

Addressing the media after the meeting, a senior JDU leader stated, “The demand for special state status for Bihar is not new. It is a crucial step towards accelerating Bihar’s growth trajectory and addressing the state’s unique challenges.”

The resolution also underscored the necessity of safeguarding Bihar’s reservation quota, which was recently increased to 65 percent. The JDU proposed that this quota be included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to shield it from judicial scrutiny, ensuring its uninterrupted implementation.

Regarding recent controversies, the party expressed deep concern over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and called for a thorough investigation. “It is imperative to restore the credibility of such crucial examinations and uphold the trust of students and parents in the fairness of the process,” the leader added.

Patna:

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary on Thursday asserted that the state government would bring in a stringent law to curb exam paper leaks, even as the CBI made its first arrest in the NEET-UG row, taking two people in custody from Patna.

The new law will be passed by the assembly in the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature, Mr Chaudhary said.

“Following the direction of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the state government is going to introduce a stringent law to check cases of question paper leaks in Bihar,” he told PTI.

The monsoon session of the Bihar assembly and state legislative council will be held from July 22 to July 26, spanning five sittings.

“The central government has already notified the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which aims to prevent unfair means in public examinations and common entrance tests held across the country. Now, the Bihar government has also decided to bring a law, which will curb paper leaks and malpractices in recruitment examinations,” the deputy CM said.

On the CBI probe into the NEET-UG paper leaks, he said, “The investigation is underway… no one will be spared.” The arrested accused were produced before a special court in Patna on Thursday, which sent them to judicial custody, officials said, adding the CBI will now seek the duo’s remand to quiz them.

The eastern state was also recently rocked by the Bihar Public Service Commission’s Teachers Recruitment Exam (TRE)-3 paper leak case.

Meanwhile, mystery surrounded the whereabouts of an alleged solver gang member, a student of AIIMS-Jodhpur, who had appeared for another candidate at a NEET-UG exam centre in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district on May 5, sources said.

He was caught during biometric attendance at the centre minutes before the test, but was allegedly allowed to go after submitting a written apology to the authorities, they said.

“A team of police officers recently visited the house of the accused in Jodhpur and met his family members. But, he was not there. The officers also visited AIIMS-Jodhpur… but officials there had no information about his whereabouts. We have served notices to his family members as well as the institute’s administration,” Awadhesh Dixit, SP (City), told PTI.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Patna:

Bihar saw its fourth instance of bridge collapse in a week, with a bridge caving in at Kishanganj district. The 70-meter bridge on a tributary of the Kankai river, connected Bahadurganj and Dighalbank blocks and its collapse has affected the connectivity between the two towns. No one was injured in the incident.

Officials said the water level of the river had gone up and several pillars in the middle of the bridge sunk about one-and-a-half-feet due to the strong current.

Cellphone videos from the spot, which were widely circulated on social media, showed the middle part of the bridge sagging and almost touching the fast-flowing river, raising concerns that it might disintegrate any time.

On receiving information about the incident, Bahadurganj police station chief Abhinav Parasar reached the spot with his team and immediately barricaded the area at both ends, stopping vehicle movement.

Locals said the bridge was built about six years ago.

The Road Department has also reached the spot and are investigating the matter.

District Magistrate Tushar Singla said the bridge was built in 2011 over Madiya, a small tributary that connects the Kankai river to the Mahananda. “Heavy rainfall in the catchment area in Nepal has led to a sudden rise in the water level. One of the pillars of the bridge could not withstand the strong current,” he was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India.

Three incidents of bridge collapse were reported last week from Siwan and Araria districts.

On June 19, a portion of an under-construction bridge over the Bakra river in Bihar’s Araria district, collapsed even before it was inaugurated. The bridge, built at a cost of Rs 12 crore, came apart in seconds. Horrifying videos from the spot showed the huge chunks of concrete being washed away.

#WATCH | Bihar | A portion of a bridge over the Bakra River has collapsed in Araria pic.twitter.com/stjDO2Xkq3

— ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2024

Over the last few years, a number of similar incidents have taken place in various parts of the state, leading to questions about the quality of public works in the state.

Patna:

A team from the Central Bureau of Investigation, which went to Bihar to investigate the UGC NET paper leak case, was heckled by villagers in Nawada. The local police say the villagers thought the team was fake. A case has been lodged against around 200 people. Only eight of them have been named.

The verbal attack  has been recorded on cellphone, and the people involved are being identified on basis of the videos, the police said. Four persons have been arrested.

A senior officer of the local police, Ambrish Rahul, said the team was at Kasiyadih village when they were attacked. The officials were rescued after the arrival of local police.

The team — four officials and a woman constable — had gone to look for a person whose cellphone they were tracking. But the villagers attacked the officials, calling them fake. They also vandalised the vehicles.

In face of the unexpected attack, the team called in the local police, who somehow pacified the villagers.

The team conducted their investigation in presence of the local police. Two cellphones have been seized on basis of location.

The CBI officials said after investigation of the information contained in the phones, people involved in the paper leak will be arrested.

The UGC-NET, through which students can choose a career in teaching in higher education institutions, was cancelled earlier this week. The cancellation came a day after the test was held over suspicion that the paper may have been leaked. The Centre had announced they suspected the exam integrity may have been “compromised”.

The University Grants Commission or UGC received inputs from the cyber crime department that the paper was available on Dark Net and was sold for Rs 5-6 lakh on messaging platforms.

Patna:

The three men arrested in Bihar in connection with the alleged paper leak of the medical entrance exam NEET, had copies of all the question papers and the answer sheets, said sources in the HRD ministry after the police sent in its investigation report. So far 13 people have been arrested in Bihar in connection with the case.

The police found photocopies of admit cards of four NEET candidates, an iPhone 15 Plus and One Plus mobile from them.

After questioning the men — Sikandar Yadvendu, Akhilesh Kumar and Bittu Kumar — the police found they circulated the papers and answer sheets among the four candidates.

The conspiracy involved the arrested men, and a few others — Sanjeev Singh, Rocky, Nitish and Amit Anand, sources said.   

The questioning of the candidates revealed that besides them, 25-30 other candidates also received the question paper and the solved answer sheets.

The arrested men said they had charged each candidate Rs 30 to 40 lakh to help them pass the exam, sources said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has now taken over the probe into the alleged paper leak after a complaint was filed by the HRD ministry.

They have filed a case of fraud and criminal conspiracy and are expected to take charge of the people arrested in the case as well.

The ministry has also asked the CBI to inquire into the role of public servants, if any, connected with the holding of the exam and the “larger conspiracy”, sources said.

Student protests have been raging across the country after allegations of multiple irregularities including cheating and impersonation surfaced following the declaration of results.

The students have been demanding the exam be rescheduled for everyone and not the 1500-odd students who received grace marks.

This, however, has not been accepted by the government and the re-test for 1,563 candidates, who had initially received grace marks, is being held today.

The matter has snowballed into a huge political row with the Opposition backing the protesting students.

New Delhi:

A fresh case has been filed in connection with the alleged paper leak in medical entrance exam NEET, by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which has taken charge of the probe following a complaint by the Ministry of Human Resources. The fresh case against unidentified persons alleges fraud and criminal conspiracy. The accused arrested by the states will also be taken into custody, sources said.

The CBI takeover of the case comes a day after the government — which initially dismissed the possibility of a paper leak — announced that the probe will be handed over to the central agency.

There were allegations of irregularities, including cheating, impersonation and other malpractices after the results of the NEET-UG 2024 was declared on June 4 — days before schedule.

Student protests have been raging across the country since, amplified by the Opposition, and the matter has snowballed into a huge political row.

The students have been demanding the exam be rescheduled for everyone and not the 1500-odd students who received grace marks.
This, however, has not been accepted by the government and the re-test for 1,563 candidates, who had initially received grace marks, is being held today.

The initial exam was held on May 5, which was taken by 24 lakh students across the country.

When the results were declared, it was found that 67 students scored an unprecedented 720/720 marks. Over 500 students received grace marks. The outcome was unnaturally high cut-off percentage that triggered waves of apprehension among students over finding a berth at any college.

As the protests started and investigation followed, several men were arrested in Bihar, who, the police said, admitted to a leak. One of them, a student taking the exam, said he was given the papers the night before the exam.

The chief of the National Testing Agency or NTA, which conducted the test, has been fired.

Patna:

The sudden collapse of a bridge in Bihar’s Siwan today caused widespread panic and uproar in the area. The collapse of the bridge over the Gandak canal occurred with a loud noise that was heard till the neighbouring Ramgarh in Darbhanga district.

Initial reports indicate no casualties from the incident. A video capturing the moment of the bridge’s collapse has surfaced, highlighting the severity of the structural failure. The bridge, which connected the markets of Patedhi Bazar in Maharajganj district with Ramgarh Panchayat in Darbhanga, served as a crucial link for thousands of commuters daily.

Residents have expressed outrage over the negligence that led to the collapse, pointing out that the bridge was quite old and had not been maintained properly since its construction nearly 40 years ago during the canal’s development phase. The improper handling during the canal’s construction led to erosion around the bridge pillars, eventually causing one of them to collapse.

The collapse has completely cut off access across the Gandak canal, forcing residents to travel long distances to reach neighbouring villages.

The incident comes just days after a similar incident in Araria, where a concrete bridge over the Bakra River, built after spending crores, came apart in seconds. Visuals showed the bridge, over the fast-flowing river, tilted on one side and a crowd gathered on the banks near the bridge, recording the moment it collapsed. Built at Rs 12 crore, the bridge collapsed before its inauguration.