New Delhi/Jaipur, May 13 -- The probe into the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 question paper widened on Wednesday as the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested five individuals and carried out searches across multiple cities, even as protests intensified and political tensions escalated over the cancellation of one of India's largest entrance examinations.
The arrests come a day after the National Testing Agency scrapped the May 3 exam amid allegations that the paper had been compromised, leaving more than 22 lakh medical aspirants uncertain about their academic future. Demonstrations were reported in several states, with opposition parties demanding accountability and calling for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
According to officials, those arrested include Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal and Dinesh Biwal from Jaipur, Yash Yadav from Gurugram, and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik. Investigators said more suspects are being questioned and further arrests are likely as the case develops.
One of the accused, speaking while being transported to Delhi, alleged selective targeting in the investigation. "Bade logon ko bachaya jata aur aam aadmi ko pareshan kiya jata hai," he said, claiming that influential figures were being shielded while ordinary individuals were being harassed.
The case, initially probed by Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group, was handed over to the CBI. The agency has since seized several electronic devices, including mobile phones and laptops, which will undergo forensic examination to trace how the question paper or related material circulated prior to the test.
Investigators have outlined a complex chain through which the alleged leak spread. Officials said a "guess paper" containing questions similar to those asked in the exam was first traced to a medical student from Sikar district studying in Kerala. The material was reportedly shared among friends and a hostel owner, who then distributed it to students, suggesting it could be useful for preparation.
The hostel owner later alerted authorities, stating that the question bank had reached a large number of candidates. From Sikar, the material is believed to have been routed through contacts in Gurugram before reaching aspirants in Jaipur and nearby areas ahead of the exam.
Further leads point to Nashik as a possible origin point of the leak. One of the arrested, Shubham Khairnar, was taken into custody there and is being brought to Delhi on transit remand for further questioning.
Parallel investigations in Maharashtra's Latur, a well-known coaching hub, revealed that at least 42 questions in a mock test conducted by a private institute matched those in the NEET exam. Police questioned six individuals, including coaching staff, after a complaint from a parent triggered the inquiry.
Authorities said that in Rajasthan alone, more than 150 candidates, along with their friends and family members, have been questioned by joint teams from multiple districts as investigators attempt to map the full extent of the network.
The role of the Biwal brothers has drawn particular attention. Officials allege that one of them paid around Rs 30 lakh to obtain the exam paper through a consultant identified as Rakesh Mandawaria, linked to Sikar. Investigators suspect that the document was first accessed through a member of the family before being shared with others willing to pay for it.
The case has also taken on a political dimension. Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress, have claimed that some of the accused have links to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Social media posts circulating photographs of Dinesh Biwal with senior BJP leaders, including Rajasthan minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, have intensified the debate.
Family members of the accused have denied any wrongdoing. Dinesh Biwal's mother said her sons were being falsely implicated, while his wife insisted he could not be involved in such activities, noting that she had been in Sikar with their child for exam preparations.
Amid the growing controversy, the Federation of All India Medical Association approached the Supreme Court seeking a complete restructuring of the examination system. The plea calls for replacing the National Testing Agency with a technologically advanced and autonomous body to restore credibility to medical entrance tests.
Earlier, CBI officials visited the NTA headquarters in Delhi to collect documents related to the conduct of the exam as part of their investigation.
With the probe now spanning multiple states and involving digital evidence, financial transactions and institutional processes, authorities say the inquiry remains ongoing and could uncover a broader network behind the alleged leak. Meanwhile, uncertainty continues for millions of students awaiting clarity on when and how the crucial entrance test will be conducted again.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.