The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested five people in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, as the probe widened across multiple states including Maharashtra, Haryana, and Rajasthan, as per media reports.
The suspected initial link in the chain has been identified as Dhananjay Lokhande, who allegedly couriered the “guess paper” for Rs 10 lakh to another accused, Shubham Khairnar. The arrest of Dinesh Biwal, secretary of the BJP youth wing in Jamwa Ramgarh since 2014, has added a political angle to the case. As per HT, his Facebook posts show proximity to leaders like Education Minister Madan Dilawar and MLA Mahendra Pal Meena. Investigators have found that four candidates from his family cleared NEET last year, while his son Rishi appeared for this year's exam, deepening scrutiny of the alleged network and its connections.
According to investigators, Shubham Khairnar, a 30-year-old Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) student from Nashik, Maharashtra, is believed to have first circulated the question paper within the network and was also involved in medical admissions counselling.
From there, the paper reportedly changed hands multiple times, with its price increasing at each stage before reaching coaching networks and being circulated further, reported Hindustan Times. Officials say the leak spread through a structured network involving intermediaries, coaching operators, paying guest (PG) hostels, and digital platforms, including Telegram channels.
CBI teams also detained a family based in Sikar, Rajasthan, which is suspected of buying the leaked paper for around Rs15 lakh and later reselling it for approximately Rs 30 lakh, spreading it further into the coaching network. In addition, two individuals were detained by Maharashtra police on behalf of the CBI as part of coordinated action across states. Investigators are tracking a complete financial chain that allegedly runs from Maharashtra through Haryana into Rajasthan's coaching hubs.
Manisha Waghmare, 46, who runs a beauty parlour in Pune's Bibvewadi and is married to a dentist, is suspected of linking students with Lokhande after receiving payments.
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