CBI Gets Seven-Day Custody Of Five NEET-UG Leak Accused
New Delhi:CBI on Thursday took seven-day custody of five accused in the NEET-UG paper leak case and arrested two more suspects; the agency has expanded its investigation to examine the possible role of insiders at the National Testing Agency (NTA).
A special CBI court, while granting custody, observed that the allegations pointed to the involvement of an “organized gang” that leaked and distributed confidential review documents for monetary gain.
The five accused – Shubham Khairnar, Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal, Dinesh Biwal and Yash Yadav – were produced before Special Judge Ajay Gupta after being sentenced to transit detention from different states.
The agency also arrested Dhananjay Lokhanda from Ahilyanagar and Manisha Waghmare from Pune in connection with the case.
In its remand plea, the CBI claimed that the question papers were distributed in PDF format through WhatsApp and Telegram before the exam. The leak was stated to involve financial transactions, including a deal of Rs 10 lakh for access to the newspaper.
According to the agency, the defendant shared the leaked Physics, Chemistry and Biology papers through messaging platforms and distributed hard copies to candidates.
The role of NTA staff and others associated with the crackdown is under investigation, officials said, adding that the involvement of public officials cannot be ruled out.
The FIR was registered on May 12 following a complaint by a Ministry of Higher Education official after an investigation by Rajasthan’s Special Operations Group showed the authenticity of the leaked questions.
Meanwhile, the controversy has triggered protests in various parts of the country with demands to revoke the NTA and take action against those responsible.
As Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan faced protests in Ahmedabad, demonstrators showed black flags and demanded his resignation.
The Resident Doctors Association Federation has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding strict action and switch to computer-based examination system.
The NEET-UG 2026 exam held on May 3 was canceled following allegations of paper leak, leaving over 22 lakh candidates uncertain about the revised schedule.
A 21-year-old candidate died by suicide in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh after the exam was cancelled, his family said. Police said no suicide note was found.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the government was handling the issue “with great seriousness and sensitivity” and assured that stringent measures would be taken. “No one will be saved, especially this exam mafia that tries to play with the future of our children. Absolutely no one will be saved,” he said.
