NEET paper leak case: CBI arrests five, conducts searches across the country

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, arrested five persons and conducted searches at several locations across the country in connection with allegations of irregularities related to the NEET-UG 2026 exam paper leak. Several other suspects are currently being investigated, the agency said.

It was stated that the three brothers (Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal and Dinesh Biwal) were detained in Jaipur, Yash Yadav from Gurugram and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Police detained two more suspects in the case and handed them over to the CBI. Police nabbed beauty parlor owner Manisha Waghmare from Bibwewadi and ayurveda practitioner Dhananjay Lokhande from Rahuri in the early hours of Wednesday.

The CBI is investigating whether the brothers from Jaipur procured the ‘guess sheet’ from Gurugram-based ayurvedic medical student Yash Yadav, in which around 120 questions matched the actual question paper. The article is thought to have been passed on to a consultancy representative in Sikar, Rajasthan, from where it was sold to a large number of people through encrypted messaging applications.

Earlier, the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) had arrested 15 people for their suspected role in the document leak. On the request of SOG, Nashik Crime Branch detained Shubham Khairnar, a 30-year-old Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) student from Nandagaon. He allegedly bought the ‘prediction paper’ and sold it for a profit.

The CBI registered the case on Tuesday following a written complaint from the Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education.

“Based on the clues uncovered, further search and investigation activities are ongoing. During the searches and arrests, various incriminating materials and electronic devices, including mobile phones, were seized. The agency is also coordinating with the Rajasthan Special Operations Group, which is conducting a preliminary investigation into the case,” the agency said, adding that the leads were being followed through “comprehensive technical and forensic analysis”.

A senior police officer from Ahilyanagar in Maharashtra said the CBI had sought help in tracing Mr. Lokhande and taking him into custody. “I have no idea about the link between the arrests in Pune and Nashik or the role of the person detained. We are not part of the investigation,” he said.

Three people have been arrested from Maharashtra so far. On Tuesday, the Nashik Crime Branch detained Mr. Khairnar in Indiranagar, after which the Killa court in Mumbai granted a two-day pass to the CBI.

A native of Mahegaon Mahaduk in Rahuri, Mr. Lokhande graduated from BAMS from Mangaluru and is working in Pune. Ms. Waghmare’s role is yet to be revealed. However, Pune Police suspects that he may be linked to Mr. Lokhande. They confiscated his phone and laptop.