NEET-UG 2026 leak probe: CBI arrests another accused from Maharashtra

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has reportedly arrested Dhananjay Lokhande from Ahilya Nagar in a major development in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak investigation.

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As per media reports, officials suspect that Lokhande supplied the leaked NEET question paper to the main accused, Shubham Khernar, who is already under investigation in connection with the case.

The latest action marks a significant escalation in the probe as CBI teams widen their investigation across multiple states to trace the full network allegedly involved in the examination leak. Investigators are now examining Lokhande’s role in detail to establish how the question paper was accessed and circulated further within the suspected racket.

CBI Team reaches Ahilya Nagar

A dedicated CBI team has been sent to Ahilya Nagar to conduct on-ground verification, gather digital and documentary evidence, and identify other individuals who may be linked to the operation, according to media reports. 

The agency is expected to interrogate Lokhande further as it attempts to reconstruct the chain of events behind the alleged breach. 

NEET-UG 2026 cancelled after leak row 

The development comes after the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination following a massive controversy over the alleged leak of the question paper days before the exam held on May 3.

The controversy has triggered widespread concern over examination security and institutional safeguards, leading to demands for stricter monitoring systems and stronger action against those involved.

How the alleged leak began 

Investigators believe the leak trail began with a WhatsApp message sent on the evening of May 2, just hours before the examination.

A medical student pursuing MBBS in Kerala allegedly sent 300 “guess paper” questions to his father’s mobile phone in Rajasthan’s Sikar district, along with the message: “My friend from Sikar sent these to me. Please give them to the girls in your hostel. These are the questions that will come tomorrow.”

The father, who worked at a PG hostel, reportedly distributed the papers to students the next morning without checking them.

It was only after the examination that suspicion grew. The hostel operator later approached a teacher at a nearby coaching institute to verify how many questions had matched the actual NEET paper.

Numbers that triggered alarm

According to investigators, the findings were striking.

All 90 Biology questions from the NEET examination were allegedly found within a 200-question Biology guess paper. Similarly, all 45 Chemistry questions reportedly appeared within an 81-question Chemistry guess paper.

Investigators also noted that after 36 unrelated questions, all 45 Chemistry questions appeared in an uninterrupted sequence with no change in punctuation, commas, or full stops.

In total, 135 out of 180 NEET questions were allegedly present in the circulated guess papers.

Rajasthan police and NTA alerted 

The PG hostel operator initially approached the Rajasthan Police at the Udyog Nagar police station in Sikar. According to his account, he was reportedly told: “Don't spread rumours.”

He later approached the NTA directly. The matter was then passed to the Central Intelligence Bureau, which alerted the Rajasthan Police. The Rajasthan State Special Operations Group (SOG) subsequently launched an investigation and detained around 15 individuals, including the hostel operator.

Where investigators suspect the leak originated 

Initial findings suggest that the NTA’s internal system may not have been the source of the breach.

Investigators suspect the leak may have originated either from the Jaipur-based printing press where the paper was printed or from someone involved in setting the examination paper.

Evidence collected so far reportedly suggests that the guess paper had already reached a counsellor’s mobile phone by April 29, four days before the examination.

The papers are believed to have circulated across Jaipur, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Nagaur, Dehradun and Kerala. In the initial stages, the papers were allegedly being sold for as much as ₹30 lakh.

 Detentions and ongoing investigation

Around 15 people from Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Nagaur and Dehradun have reportedly been detained in connection with the alleged procurement and circulation of the papers.

Among them is counsellor Rakesh Kumar Mandawariya from Sikar, who is accused of sending the papers to the Kerala MBBS student. Avinash Lamba and Manish Yadav from Jaipur have also reportedly been detained.

Officials said the investigation is continuing and more arrests may follow in the coming days as agencies attempt to dismantle what they suspect is a wider organised network behind the examination breach.