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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested five people and launched searches at several locations across the country in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak case, PTI reported, citing officials.
List of people arrested by CBI
“Among those arrested are three individuals from Jaipur: Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal, and Dinesh Biwal, along with Yash Yadav from Gurugram and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik. Several other suspects are being questioned in various cities and may be arrested later,” they added.
Khairnar (30) is being brought to Delhi for further questioning after a local magistrate court granted the CBI a transit remand for him. He was detained by the Nashik Police on Tuesday following a request from the Rajasthan Police.
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The CBI has arrested five individuals: Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal, and Dinesh Biwal from Jaipur, Yash Yadav from Gurugram, and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik. Several other suspects are also being questioned.
Shubham Khairnar, a BAMS student from Nashik, was allegedly involved in circulating a 'guess paper' that had significant similarities to the actual NEET 2026 exam questions. He reportedly bought it for ₹10 lakh and sold it to aspirants for ₹15 lakh.
The investigation began with preliminary inquiries by the Rajasthan Police's SOG, which led to multiple arrests and searches across the country. The CBI has taken over the case, conducting forensic analysis of seized digital devices and coordinating with state agencies.
The NEET-UG 2026 examination was cancelled by the NTA due to concerns over the integrity of the process. The matter has been referred to the CBI for a comprehensive probe, and the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has approached the Supreme Court seeking a revamp of the NTA.
FAIMA has filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding the dissolution of the NTA and the formation of a court-appointed committee to conduct future NEET-UG exams. They also seek a high-powered committee to monitor the examination process for transparency.
“After taking over the investigation on Tuesday, the CBI is conducting searches at multiple locations across the country based on emerging leads,” they said, as reported by PTI.
The CBI has seized multiple digital devices, including mobile phones and laptops, from the accused. These devices will undergo forensic analysis to identify messaging applications that may have been used to distribute the examination papers.
PTI reported, citing agency sources, that the CBI is coordinating with the Special Operations Group (SOG), Rajasthan, which had conducted a preliminary enquiry in the case.
"The CBI is pursuing all leads relating to the alleged paper leak through extensive technical and forensic analysis and remains committed to conducting a comprehensive, impartial and professional investigation into the matter," an official in the know of developments told PTI.
CBI visits NTA headquarters to collect documents
The CBI on Wednesday also visited the National Testing Agency (NTA) headquarters to collect documents related to the NEET UG examination, which was cancelled following allegations of paper leak, officials said.
The team also spoke to officials involved in the examination process, they said.
The arrests of the suspects from Rajasthan turned into a political slugfest, with Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot linking one of the accused with the ruling BJP, while the latter strongly denied the claims.
Gehlot said the accused he mentioned was identified as Dinesh Biwal. "The accused arrested in the NEET paper leak case, Dinesh Biwal, is a functionary of the Bharatiya Janata Party," he claimed in a post on X in Hindi.
Gehlot shared a photo of a poster featuring Biwal, portraying him as the district secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in Jaipur Rural. However, BJP state vice president Mukesh Dadhich strongly denied these claims, stating that Biwal holds no position in the party.
Who is accused Dinesh Biwal?
Biwal hails from Jamwaramgarh in Jaipur, and his family members claim that he and his brother were detained by the police. They maintain that both are innocent and have been falsely implicated in the case.
The SOG has detained several individuals from various locations, including Sikar, Jaipur Rural (including Jamwaramgarh), Alwar, and surrounding areas.
The CBI had registered an FIR and formed teams to probe the NEET UG alleged paper leak case, which resulted in the cancellation of the paper held on May 3.
The NEET-UG 2026 was conducted across 551 Indian cities and at 14 overseas centres. Nearly 23 lakh candidates had registered for the test, which was administered by the NTA at centres across the country.
According to the NTA, information regarding alleged malpractice was received on the evening of May 7, four days after the examination was held. The NTA said the inputs were escalated to central agencies the following morning for "independent verification and necessary action".
The CBI is pursuing all leads relating to the alleged paper leak through extensive technical and forensic analysis.
The Rajasthan Police's SOG claimed that a "guess paper" for chemistry, allegedly circulated among students ahead of the examination, had approximately 410 questions, including roughly 120 questions that appeared in the examination.
(With inputs from PTI)
Key Takeaways
- The NEET-UG 2026 exam was marred by allegations of a paper leak, leading to its cancellation.
- The CBI's investigation resulted in multiple arrests and searches across various locations.
- Political implications arise as connections between the accused and political parties are scrutinized.
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