Three DUHS officials remanded in FIA custody in MDCAT leak case

A judicial magistrate on Friday remanded three officials of the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) in the Federal Investigation Agency’s custody for questioning in the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) question paper leak case.

The FIA’s investigation officer produced DUHS controller of examination Fuad Sheikh, deputy controller of examination Manthar Ali and assistant admin officer Muhammad Farooq before a judicial magistrate (Malir) and sought their physical remand for interrogation.

The IO stated that the suspects were required to be interrogated about the case and other absconding accomplices. The magistrate handed over the suspects to the FIA for three days with a direction to the IO to produce them on completion of their remand.

Three other suspects – Sheeraz Bilal, Tariq Aziz Samo and Shan – have already been arrested by the agency. The FIA’s Cyber Crime Reporting Circle Karachi has registered an FIR against 15 suspects under relevant sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (Peca) and the Pakistan Penal Code.

It stated that on October 18, 2024, an inquiry was launched on the complaint about the MDCAT entrance examination paper leak on September 22. Upon inquiry, the FIA said DUHS officials and several others were found involved in leaking the paper. The suspects sold information using social media as a tool and were responsible for breaching confidentiality during the preparation phase of the exam, it added.