The CBI registered an FIR into the UGC-NET paper leak case against unidentified persons on a reference from the Union Education Ministry, officials said. In the initial investigation, it has been found that the question paper was leaked on Monday after which it was posted on encrypted social media platforms. The next day, the University Grants Commission received inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (l4C) that the paper was available on the darknet and was allegedly being sold for Rs 5-6 lakh on messaging platforms, sources said.
Sources added that CBI will work in close coordination with the I4C while initiating its own darknet exploration softwares and systems to nail down the perpetrators.
According to the complaint from the Education Ministry, the inputs from I4C, which functions under the Union Home Ministry, "prima-facie indicate that the integrity of the examination may have been compromised", officials said. "To ensure the highest level of transparency and sanctity of the examination process, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, has decided to cancel the aforesaid examination and to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a thorough investigation in the matter," the reference note from the Secretary, Education Ministry, K Sanjay Murthy said.
The facts of the complaint prima facie disclose the commission of offences punishable under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code against unknown accused, the FIR stated.
