Indian Youth Congress members and supporters stage a protest against the alleged NEET 2026 scam in Delhi on 13 May 2026. Photo credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday (May 13, 2026) arrested five persons and conducted searches at multiple locations across the country in connection with alleged irregularities related to the NEET-UG 2026 exam paper leak. Several other suspects are currently being investigated, the agency said.
Three brothers – Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal and Dinesh Biwal – were taken into custody from Jaipur, Yash Yadav was picked up from Gurugram and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik in Maharashtra, the agency said.
The Maharashtra police have arrested two more suspects in the case and handed them over to the CBI. Police arrested Manisha Waghmare, a beauty salon owner, from Bibwewadi and Dhananjay Lokhande, an Ayurvedic practitioner, from Rahuri in the wee hours of Wednesday.
The CBI is probing whether the Jaipur-based brothers procured an “estimation paper” in which about 120 questions matched the actual question paper, from Gurugram-based ayurvedic medicine student Yash Yadav. The paper is suspected to have been handed over to a consultancy agent in Rajasthan’s Sikar from where it was sold to a large number of people through encrypted messaging apps.
Earlier, the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) picked up 15 people for their suspected roles in the paper leak. On the SOG’s request, the Nashik Crime Branch arrested Shubham Khairnar, a 30-year-old Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) student from Nandagaon. He allegedly bought “estimate paper” and sold it for a profit.
The CBI registered the case on Tuesday based on a written complaint by the Education Ministry.
“Further searches and investigative actions are underway based on the newly discovered leads. Several incriminating materials and electronic devices, including mobile phones, were seized during the searches and arrests. The agency is also coordinating with the Special Operations Group in Rajasthan, which conducted a preliminary investigation in the case,” the agency said, adding that the leads are being followed up through “extensive technical and forensic analysis.”
In Maharashtra, a senior police officer from Ahilyanagar said the CBI had sought help to trace Mr. Lokhande and take him into custody. “I have no idea about the connection between the arrests in Pune and Nashik, nor the role of the arrested person. We are not part of the investigation,” he said.
So far three people have been arrested from Maharashtra. On Tuesday, the Nashik Crime Branch arrested Mr. Khairnar from Indiranagar, after which a Mumbai court in Killa granted the CBI his two-day transit custody.
A native of Mahegaon Mahaduk in Rahuri, Mr. Lokhande graduated from BAMS in Mangaluru and practices in Pune. Ms Waghmare’s role is not yet clear. However, the Pune police suspect that he may have links with Mr. Lokhand. Her phone and laptop were confiscated.
Published – 13 May 2026 18:18 IST
