NEET UG 2026 Leak Scandal:The alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak has triggered one of the biggest education scandals in recent years, with investigators uncovering a sophisticated interstate network that reportedly used couriers, WhatsApp groups, Telegram channels, coaching centre links, and handwritten copies to circulate the leaked medical entrance exam paper before the test.
How the NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak Was Allegedly Executed?
According to investigation findings cited by multiple national media reports, the leak trail may have originated from a printing and distribution chain connected to Jaipur and Pune before spreading through a wider coaching and broker network.
Investigators discovered that someone in Rajasthan created a handwritten version of the paper which they later transformed into PDF files through scanning. The distribution of these PDFs occurred through encrypted messaging applications and private Telegram groups and WhatsApp conversations and physical courier services.
The CBI and Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) are now tracing digital footprints, deleted chats, courier records, mobile phones, laptops, and financial transactions linked to the leak network.
NEET UG 2026 Leak Scandal: Social Media Groups Under Scanner
One of the biggest revelations in the probe is the alleged use of courier services and social media groups to distribute leaked content across states before the examination. Officials believe hard copies of the paper were transported physically to select coaching centres and intermediaries before being circulated digitally.
Investigators have reportedly identified several WhatsApp and Telegram groups where “guess papers” and question sets matching the actual exam paper were circulated hours before the examination. Some groups allegedly charged lakhs of rupees from students and parents promising guaranteed questions and ranks.
Reports suggest that coaching hubs in Rajasthan’s Sikar and Maharashtra’s Nashik became important points in the alleged distribution chain. Authorities are probing whether coaching operators, middlemen, and former candidates were involved in solving and distributing the paper before exam day.
CBI Investigates NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak Amid Opposition Uproar
Multi-State Arrests and Detentions
The CBI has arrested at least five accused and detained several others from Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, and other locations in connection with the alleged paper leak racket.
Among those arrested, the report said, are three members of a Rajasthan-based family from Jamwa Ramgarh in Jaipur district, Dinesh Biwal, his brother Mangilal Biwal and Mangilal’s son Vikas Biwal. The three, along with a person identified only as Yash, were produced before a court in Jaipur on Wednesday evening and subsequently taken to Delhi on transit remand for further interrogation, the report added.
Investigators have traced the alleged origin of the leak to Pune, where an Ayurveda practitioner is said to have received a hard copy of the leaked question paper, TOI reported. According to the report, the practitioner then couriered the document to an individual named Khairnar in Nashik, who allegedly photographed it and forwarded the images to a Gurugram-based contact. From there, the material spread further through WhatsApp groups, Telegram channels, coaching networks and courier routes across three states, the report said.
The report cited sources as saying that four children from the family had cleared NEET in 2025 and are currently enrolled in different medical colleges. Dinesh Biwal’s son had studied for NEET-UG at an Sikar coaching institute while Vikas Biwal had taken the test the previous year but failed to pass.
The report states that officials believe Dinesh Biwal went to Sikar on April 29 to deliver the question set which he obtained from a person named Yash to his son. Investigators believe Dinesh may have shared the material with at least 10 individuals.
Rs 15 Lakh to Rs 60 Lakh Deals Allegedly Offered
Several reports claim that candidates were allegedly charged anywhere between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 60 lakh for access to the leaked paper and guaranteed admission support.
NTA Cancels NEET-UG 2026
Following the revelations, the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled NEET-UG 2026. The exam, conducted on May 3, 2026, had nearly 22.79 lakh candidates appearing across over 5,400 centres in India and abroad.
“The paper conducted on May 3 had four code versions. None of the papers was found in the market and no leak has been established. In a PDF that was circulated, there were many questions, and some of them appeared similar to questions from the exam paper,” NTA director general Abhishek Singh said.
“So, I would not say that the entire paper was leaked. But I will definitely say that even if a single question matches our question paper, then our commitment to zero tolerance and zero error is violated, and our entire process is compromised,” said NTA director general Abhishek Singh.
The Education Ministry referred the case to the CBI after evidence surfaced suggesting that portions of a leaked “guess paper” matched the actual examination paper.
