The heat of the medical entrance NEET-UG paper leak reached the doorstep of Bihar leader of Opposition and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav as the ruling JDU-BJP alleged that one of the arrested accused in the state capital was closely connected to his private secretary (PS) Pritam Kumar.

“One of the persons arrested by the police in the NEET-UG paper leak in Patna is Sikandar Yadavendu, a junior engineer in the water resources department and close relative of Tejashwi’s private secretary Pritam. He (Sikandar) was so infamous for corruption while deputed in the urban development department that he was repatriated to the water resources department,” JDU MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar told reporters.

Neeraj added that Sikandar was posted back to the urban development department during Tejashwi's tenure as deputy chief minister and entrusted with important tasks.

“Sikandar is now under arrest in the paper leak. Tejashwi should clarify what were his qualities due to which he was called back to the urban development department despite facing allegations of corruption, and what is his relation with Pritam,” Neeraj demanded.

Deputy chief minister and BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha alleged that the "gang members" involved in the NEET-UG paper leak stayed at a government guest house in Patna and Pritam had booked a room for them.

Vijay showed several documents, call details and Whatsapp messages to corroborate his allegations and said: “The government has ordered a probe into this. Action will be taken against all those who were involved in helping the examination mafia. Our agencies are already probing the paper leak case.”

RJD spokesperson Shakti Yadav termed the allegations “baseless” and pointed out that Sikandar was seen in photographs with several senior BJP leaders.

The Bihar police and its economic offences unit (EOU) have arrested at least 13 persons, including four examinees, in the paper leak case. Several of them were nabbed on the day of the NEET-UG exam on May 5.

The EOU has unearthed evidence, including portions of a burnt booklet, that indicated that the paper had actually leaked. It is seeking help from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the exam, but did not share details of it with the EOU for around a month.

EOU additional director-general Nayyar Hasnain Khan has revealed that around 25 examinees were kept at a play school-cum-boys hostel a day before the examination and provided questions and answers to them to be memorised. The arrested candidates have accepted that they completely matched the questions in the NEET-UG paper.