CBI detains 30-year-old BAMS student from Nashik in NEET 2026 paper leak case

Nashik: In connection with the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak case that has reportedly led to massive protests, criticism from the medical fraternity and anger from aspirants after the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the examination held on May 3, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has detained a BAMS student from Nashik, Maharashtra, for interrogation.

The student is a 30-year-old resident of the Indiranagar area in Nashik who was previously detained by the Nashik Crime Branch before being handed over to the CBI. He is accused of purchasing the leaked NEET UG question paper from a Pune-based suspect and later selling it to another buyer in Haryana at a profit margin of Rs 5 lakh.

Also read- NEET 2026 controversy: Doctors' body moves Supreme Court seeking NTA replacement, committee-monitored exam

NDTV reported that the student bought the leaked paper for Rs 10 lakh and sold it for Rs 15 lakh, earning around Rs 5 lakh in the process. The paper was reportedly circulated using an encrypted messaging application.

The alleged paper leak is reported to have first surfaced in Nashik after the first digital copy of the leaked paper emerged there. The leaked paper later allegedly spread to several states, including Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar and Kerala. Jaipur and Sikar in Rajasthan, known as major coaching hubs, were also reportedly linked to the network. 

The student was reportedly detained by the CBI on Tuesday afternoon. It has been reported that he had changed his appearance by cutting his hair in an attempt to evade detection. However, officials allegedly identified him by comparing his current appearance with older photographs and using technical surveillance data.

After the Local Crime Branch (LCB) took him into custody, his father denied the allegations and said his son had no connection with any paper leak racket. At the same time, he said that if his son's name had appeared in the investigation, authorities should conduct a fair probe to find out the truth.

NEET 2026 cancelled:

The National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 12, 2026, declared the cancellation of the examination held on May 3 and subsequently announced that a re-exam will be held on dates that will be notified separately.

NTA further informed that the Government of India decided to refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations after it declared to re-conduct the NEET UG 2026 examination soon. Based on the centre's direction, the CBI registered an FIR in the case. 

This comes in the backdrop of the probe by the Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group, which reportedly found a “guess paper” containing more than 100 questions similar to those asked in the NEET UG examination. The question paper series under scrutiny has been described as a “guess paper” which reportedly contained around 410 questions. Out of these, nearly 120 questions are alleged to have appeared in the Biology and Chemistry sections of the examination.

The investigation has found that the leaked papers were circulated through WhatsApp and Telegram groups ahead of the NEET UG 2026 examination held on May 3. According to reports, the matter came to light after a Sikar-based MBBS student studying at a medical college in Kerala allegedly shared a PDF of a “guess paper” with his father on May 2. The father, who runs a PG accommodation facility in Sikar, reportedly circulated the document further to a chemistry and a biology teacher who identified the similarities in questions. 

As the investigation widened, Rajasthan SOG and later the CBI uncovered what officials described as a multi-state network involving students, coaching-linked persons and middlemen. The alleged leak reportedly spread from Kerala and Rajasthan to Haryana, Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and other states. So far, around 15 to 16 people have been arrested or taken into custody in connection with the case, while nearly 45 people have been detained or questioned during the investigation.

Seeking action, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) filed a petition before the Supreme Court demanding the replacement of NTA. It urged the Apex Court to issue a direction to the Centre to either replace NTA or fundamentally restructure it "with a more robust, technologically advanced and autonomous body for conducting NEET. 

The issue also led to massive protests and condemnation by the medical fraternity, who blamed the NTA and the government for failing to prevent another paper leak controversy in 2026. They have criticised the authorities for playing with the future of over 22 lakh aspirants who appeared for the exam and are again forced to re-appear.  

Also read- NEET 2026 row: Doctors' body urges PM Modi to dissolve NTA, NMC