The investigation into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak has widened, with Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group claiming to have uncovered a coordinated interstate network involved in circulating examination material ahead of the May 3 medical entrance test.
According to NDTV, Manish Yadav has emerged as the alleged mastermind behind the operation and has been taken into custody from Jaipur.
Investigators claim Yadav played a central role in coordinating the network allegedly involved in reproducing and distributing the examination paper before the test. Another accused, Rakesh Mandawariya, has also been detained, with officials suspecting he handled circulation of the leaked material.
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The probe, led by the Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group along with police teams from multiple states, has so far resulted in around nine arrests across five states, while nearly 45 people have either been detained or questioned.
Reports said at least 15 additional suspects have been picked up from Rajasthan's Sikar and Jhunjhunu districts, along with Dehradun, as investigators expand raids across coaching hubs and linked networks.
One of the key arrests was made in Maharashtra's Nashik, where police detained Shubham Khairnar during a joint operation based on Rajasthan Police inputs.
Officials said Khairnar, a B.A.M.S student originally from Nashik district's Nandgaon taluka, had allegedly altered his appearance and cut his hair to avoid identification. Investigators reportedly used older photographs and technical surveillance inputs to track him down.
According to preliminary findings, the alleged leak trail began in Rajasthan after a handwritten “guess paper” reportedly reached a student in Sikar on May 1, nearly two days before the examination.
Officials suspect the material was sent by an MBBS student from Rajasthan's Churu district currently studying in Kerala. Investigators claimed the handwritten document contained between 120 and 140 questions matching the actual NEET paper, covering nearly 600 marks out of the total 720.
Authorities alleged the material was circulated through coaching-linked intermediaries, PG hostel operators and digital communication channels before spreading further.
Following the controversy, the National Testing Agency cancelled NEET-UG 2026, conducted for over 22 lakh candidates, and referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation for a comprehensive probe.
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