NEET leak storm deepens: CBI raids, SC petition seeks NTA replacement

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested five people and intensified nationwide raids in connection with the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, as the controversy surrounding the cancellation of India’s largest medical entrance examination continues to deepen.

The arrests include accused individuals from Jaipur, Gurugram, and Nashik, while investigators are examining digital evidence, financial transactions, Telegram groups, and WhatsApp chats linked to the suspected leak network.

The agency registered an FIR on May 12 following a complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education.

The case includes charges related to criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, corruption, destruction of evidence, and violations under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

According to officials, those arrested include Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal, and Dinesh Biwal from Jaipur, Yash Yadav from Gurugram, and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik.

Several others are currently under questioning. The CBI has also seized mobile phones, laptops, and other electronic devices for forensic analysis.

Investigation Expands Across Multiple States

Special CBI teams are carrying out searches and interrogations across Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Delhi, Maharashtra, and other states as investigators attempt to determine the full extent of the alleged leak network.

The agency is probing whether leaked “guess papers” were sold to students for amounts reportedly ranging between ₹30 lakh and ₹50 lakh. Investigators are also examining whether coaching centers, middlemen, courier employees, or insiders connected to printing and transportation systems were involved in the operation.

Officials said the investigation is focused on determining whether the viral documents circulating before the examination were genuine question papers and identifying everyone who had access to them.

The CBI’s Special Investigation Team is separately questioning more than 100 detained individuals, including doctors, MBBS students, coaching operators, and candidates allegedly linked to the leak. Written and video-recorded statements are being collected to cross-check testimonies.

Investigators are also monitoring Telegram channels and social media groups where leaked material was allegedly distributed before the examination.

Supreme Court Petition Seeks NTA Overhaul

Amid the growing controversy, the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) has approached the Supreme Court alleging “systemic failure” in the conduct of NEET-UG 2026 and demanding a complete restructuring of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The petition, filed through advocate Tanvi Dubey, seeks either the replacement of the NTA or the creation of a “robust, technologically advanced, and autonomous body” to conduct future medical entrance examinations.

FAIMA has also sought a court-monitored re-examination of NEET-UG 2026 under judicial supervision to restore public confidence in the admission process.

The plea further requests the constitution of a High-Powered Monitoring Committee chaired by a retired Supreme Court judge and including cybersecurity and forensic experts to oversee the re-examination process.

According to the petition, the committee should continue monitoring the examination system until a proposed National Examination Integrity Commission or another court-appointed body certifies the process as secure.

The petition additionally calls for major structural reforms, including digital locking of question papers, transition to a fully computer-based testing format, and center-wise publication of results to improve transparency and identify irregularities more effectively.

FAIMA has also urged the Supreme Court to direct the CBI to submit a status report within four weeks detailing arrests, accused persons, identified networks, and progress in the investigation.

The Supreme Court has not yet listed the matter for hearing.

How the Controversy Escalated

The National Testing Agency canceled the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3 after allegations of widespread malpractice and paper leaks surfaced across several states.

The examination had been conducted across 551 cities in India and 14 international centers. Around 22.7 lakh candidates had registered, while nearly 22.05 lakh students appeared for the test.

According to officials, the NTA received information regarding possible irregularities on May 7, four days after the examination. The agency referred the matter to central authorities on May 8 for verification and further investigation.

On May 12, the NTA officially announced the cancellation of the examination and confirmed that a re-test would be conducted on fresh dates to be announced later.

The agency stated that the decision was taken after investigative inputs from law enforcement agencies indicated that the integrity of the examination process may have been compromised.

Government Defends Decision to Cancel Exam

Government sources described the cancellation as a difficult but necessary decision aimed at protecting students who prepared honestly for the examination.

“The decision was costly for the government. It was the right decision for the student,” a government source said.

According to officials, the examination was canceled within days of receiving information about the alleged leak.

“It is a fact that the miscreants got some questions from the question paper, and the moment it was detected, action followed within hours. That is the test of an institution, not whether bad actors exist but how quickly the system responds when they do,” a government source said.

Another official said the re-examination was preferable to years of legal disputes.

“The students who are sitting at home today preparing for the re-conducted examination would be sitting in court rooms three years from now if NTA had not taken this decision. Re-conduct is hard. Loss of a year for lakhs of students to litigation would have been catastrophic. The Government chose the harder, fairer path,” the source said.

NTA officials have also acknowledged that weaknesses in confidential processes would need to be addressed.

Whistleblower From Sikar Revealed Leak

One of the earliest complaints in the case reportedly came from a whistleblower in Rajasthan’s Sikar district, who identified similarities between a viral “guess paper” and the actual NEET examination paper shortly after the test ended.

The whistleblower, a chemistry teacher who requested anonymity, said he noticed that around 45 chemistry questions matched exactly with a PDF circulating on WhatsApp groups.

After consulting a biology teacher colleague, he allegedly found that nearly 90 biology questions were also identical.

The teacher reportedly approached police and later emailed evidence, screenshots, and viral PDF files to the Union Home Ministry and the NTA on May 6.

According to him, officials from the Home Ministry, NTA, and investigating agencies contacted him within hours and recorded his statement the following day. He said he acted to protect the transparency of the examination system and the future of students.

Questions Over “Guess Papers”

The Rajasthan Special Operations Group previously stated that investigators recovered a 150-page PDF containing around 410 questions that had allegedly circulated among students weeks before the examination.

According to officials, approximately 120 questions from chemistry alone were reportedly similar to the actual paper.

Investigators said the document was found on students’ mobile phones and had allegedly circulated through WhatsApp and Telegram networks before the examination.

Officials described the investigation as a “laborious and painful process” involving multiple agencies and digital forensic analysis.

Political Reactions Intensify

The cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 has triggered protests by student organizations in several states, including Delhi and Kerala, while opposition leaders accused the government of failing to secure national-level examinations.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thiru C Joseph Vijay renewed the state’s longstanding opposition to NEET and called for admissions to medical courses to be based on Class 12 marks instead.

“The Government of Tamil Nadu reiterates the State's long-pending demand to abolish NEET and permit the States to fill all seats under the State quota in MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH courses on the basis of Class 12 marks,” he said.

He argued that the repeated controversies surrounding NEET demonstrated “structural flaws in a national-level exam.”

Referring to the 2024 controversy, he highlighted that a reform panel led by former ISRO chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan had already submitted recommendations to strengthen examination systems.

“This is not the first time NEET has been compromised,” he said.

NTA Promises Fair Re-Examination

NTA Director General Abhishek Singh said the agency remains committed to conducting the re-examination fairly and transparently.

He admitted that the cancellation was embarrassing for the agency but said strict decisions were necessary to maintain the credibility of the examination process.

The agency has indicated that fresh examination dates will be announced separately. Students will not be required to register again for the re-test, and existing application details will remain valid.

The NEET-UG 2026 controversy has once again intensified scrutiny over the security, transparency, and credibility of large-scale competitive examinations in India, with students and parents demanding stronger safeguards and accountability mechanisms.