The NEET-UG 2026 controversy deepened after investigators found major similarities between a leaked handwritten paper and the actual exam, prompting cancellation of the test.
BY PC Bureau
May 12, 2026: In a major breakthrough in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak investigation, Maharashtra Police have arrested a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) student from Nashik for allegedly buying and selling a leaked “guess paper” that investigators say closely matched the actual examination paper. The accused, identified as Shubham Khairnar, was reportedly taken into custody by the Nashik Crime Branch after police traced the circulation of the leaked material through Telegram networks.
According to investigators, Khairnar allegedly procured the paper online and later sold it to a buyer in Haryana, opening up a wider interstate trail in the scandal. The development has prompted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to intensify its probe, with four CBI teams reaching Nashik to take custody of the accused and examine fresh leads linked to the leak.
The arrest has also weakened the earlier suspicion that the NEET-UG paper had been leaked directly from a printing press in Nashik. Police sources now believe the question paper may not have originated from the printing facility initially under scrutiny.
BIG NEWS – CBI takes custody of the accused in NEET paper leak case. pic.twitter.com/62OlE6q3dS
— News Algebra (@NewsAlgebraIND) May 12, 2026
READ: NEET-UG 2026 Exam Cancelled, CBI Probe Ordered
The development comes amid mounting controversy over the NEET-UG 2026 examination, which was cancelled by the National Testing Agency (NTA) earlier on Tuesday following allegations of widespread irregularities. The exam, conducted on May 3 for medical admissions across India, will now be reconducted on fresh dates to be announced later.
Investigators from Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG), which first uncovered the leak network, recently revealed that a handwritten “guess paper” containing 281 questions showed a striking overlap with the actual NEET examination. Officials claimed all 90 Biology questions and all 45 Chemistry questions from the final exam were present in the leaked material.
The NTA had earlier stated that it received information regarding possible malpractice on May 7 and subsequently referred the matter to central agencies for verification. Following multiple detentions and the emergence of new evidence, the Centre handed over the probe to the CBI.
The latest arrest has significantly widened the scope of the investigation, raising concerns over organised digital networks involved in leaking one of the country’s most competitive entrance examinations. The controversy has also revived memories of the 2024 NEET paper leak row, which triggered nationwide protests and demands for sweeping reforms in examination security.
Further details regarding the CBI probe and the revised examination schedule are awaited.
