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 quoting officials.
List of people arrested by CBI
“Among those arrested are three persons 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 him CBI remand. On Tuesday, he was detained by the Nashik police on the request of the Rajasthan police.
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The CBI arrested five persons: 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 an “estimate paper” that had significant similarities to the actual questions of the NEET 2026 exam. He allegedly bought it for ₹10 million and sold it to candidates for ₹15 million.
The investigation began with a preliminary investigation by the Rajasthan Police SOG, which led to many arrests and searches across the country. The CBI took over the case, conducted forensic analysis of the seized digital devices and coordinated with state authorities.
The NEET-UG 2026 exam has been canceled by the NTA due to concerns over the integrity of the process. The matter was referred to the CBI for a comprehensive investigation and the Federation of All India Medical Practitioners (FAIMA) approached the Supreme Court seeking a recast of the NTA.
FAIMA filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking dissolution of the NTA and formation of a court-appointed committee to conduct future NEET-UG examinations. They are also seeking a high-powered committee to monitor the review process for transparency.
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“After taking over the investigation on Tuesday, the CBI is conducting searches at various locations across the country based on emerging leads,” they said, according to PTI.
The CBI has seized several digital devices, including mobile phones and laptops, from the accused. These devices will undergo forensic analysis to identify the messaging apps that may have been used to distribute the trial documents.
Citing sources, PTI said the CBI is coordinating with the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Rajasthan, which has conducted a preliminary investigation in the case.
“The CBI is following all leads related 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 familiar with the development told PTI.
CBI visits NTA headquarters to collect documents
The CBI also visited the National Testing Agency (NTA) headquarters on Wednesday to collect documents related to the NEET UG examination, which was canceled following allegations of a paper leak, officials said.
The team also spoke to officials involved in the investigation process, they said.
The arrest of the Rajasthan suspects has turned into a political scare, with Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot linking one of the accused to the ruling BJP, while the latter vehemently denied the claims.
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Gehlot said the accused he mentioned was identified as Dinesh Biwal. “The accused arrested in the NEET paper leak case, Dinesh Biwal, is a Bharatiya Janata Party functionary,” he claimed in a post on X in Hindi.
Gehlot shared a photo of a poster with Biwal depicting him as the district secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in Jaipur Rural. However, BJP state vice-president Mukesh Dadhich strongly denied the claims, saying that Biwal does not hold any position in the party.
Who is accused Dinesh Biwal?
Biwal hails from Jamwaramgarh in Jaipur and his family members say he and his brother were detained by the police. They claim that both are innocent and were falsely implicated in the case.
The SOG arrested several persons from various places including Sikar, Jaipur Rural (including Jamwaramgarh), Alwar and surrounding areas.
The CBI has registered an FIR and formed teams to investigate the case of the alleged NEET UG paper leak that led to the cancellation of the exam held on May 3.
NEET-UG 2026 was held in 551 Indian cities and 14 overseas centres. Nearly 23 thousand candidates registered for the test which was administered by NTA at centers across the country.
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According to the NTA, information about the alleged misconduct was received on the evening of May 7, four days after the investigation was carried out. The NTA said the inputs were escalated to central agencies the following morning for “independent verification and necessary action”.
The CBI is following all leads related to the alleged paper leak through extensive technical and forensic analysis.
The SOG of Rajasthan Police claimed that the ‘guess paper’ for Chemistry, which was allegedly circulated among students before the exam, had around 410 questions, including around 120 questions that appeared in the exam.
Key things
- The NEET-UG 2026 exam was marred by allegations of paper leakage, which led to its cancellation.
- The CBI investigation led to many arrests and searches at various locations.
- Political implications arise when links between the accused and political parties are examined.
