Russian was the ‘mastermind’ of JEE (Mains) leak 2021 case: CBI

New Delhi: After investigating the case for over a year, the CBI has achieved a breakthrough in the JEE (Mains) Exams Leak 2021 case, after it apprehended the mastermind a Russian national.

The federal probe agency has issued a look out circular against Mikhail Shargin on allegations that along with other co accused he committed irregularities in the online examination.

Bureau of Immigration detained Mikhail at Delhi's international airport after he was coming from Almaty Kazakhstan.

"During investigation, it came to light that some foreign nationals were involved in compromising many online examinations including JEE (Mains) colluding with other accused in the instant case. Role of a Russian was revealed who had allegedly tampered with the iLeon software (the platform on which the JEE(Main)-2021 examination was conducted) and that he helped other accused in hacking the computer systems of suspect candidates during the examination. Therefore, a Look Out Circular was opened against the said Russian," said the CBI in a statement issued on Monday.

The CBI had registered a case against a private company, Affinity Education Private Limited, last September. Working on source-based information the CBI had then found that accused had managed to compromise JEE (Mains) Exams of 2021. "(Our) probe shows that private educational institutions, its directors, touts, staff posted at examination centre connived with each other and entered in a conspiracy," said a CBI official.

After taking around Rs 12 to Rs 15 lakhs from parents of suspected candidates, directors of Affinity Education Private Limited manipulated the online examination of JEE (Mains). A promise was made to parents that their children will get admission in top NITs if "illegal money is paid".

How it was done

(a) Accused first selected an examination centre in Sonepat (Haryana).

(b) invigilators and staff of this examination centre were also paid bribes

(c) Accused collected the candidates' class Xth and XIIth marksheet.

(d) Before examination candidates user IDs and passwords were taken.

(e) remote access from the chosen examination centre was then given.

As a security deposit, the accused also collected postdated cheques from parents. The probe agency carried out searches at 19 places across country including NCR, Pune, Jamshedpur, Indore and Bengaluru which lead to seizure of 25 Laptops, 7 PCs, around 30 Post-Dated Cheques