India
oi-Swastika Sruti
The investigation into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case is growing larger with every passing day as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continues its crackdown on what officials now believe could be a highly organised nationwide examination racket.
The CBI arrested Dhananjay Lokhanda and Manisha Waghmare as part of its investigation into a suspected nationwide NEET-UG 2026 paper leak racket, which led to the cancellation of the May 3 exam affecting 23 lakh aspirants.
In the latest development, the CBI arrested two more accused persons in connection with the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 question paper. The two accused have been identified as Dhananjay Lokhanda from Ahilyanagar in Maharashtra and Manisha Waghmare from Pune.
Officials said both were detained after investigators gathered evidence linking them to the alleged circulation and handling of leaked examination material before the medical entrance test.
Along with the fresh arrests, the agency also carried out searches at 14 locations across the country during the last 24 hours. Investigators reportedly seized mobile phones, laptops, financial documents and digital communication records as they attempted to reconstruct how the leaked question paper allegedly moved through different states and reached students before the examination.
The case was officially registered on May 12 after the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education submitted a complaint regarding suspected irregularities and a possible paper leak linked to the NEET-UG 2026 examination.
Soon after reports emerged claiming that leaked “guess papers” matched portions of the actual exam, the Union government handed over the matter to the CBI for a detailed investigation. The government later cancelled the May 3 examination, a decision that affected nearly 23 lakh medical aspirants across India.
Before the latest arrests, the CBI had already detained five other accused in the case. They were identified as Yash Yadav, Mangilal Khatik alias Mangilal Biwal, Vikash Biwal, Shubham Khainwar and Dinesh Biwal. According to officials, three of them were arrested from Jaipur, one from Gurugram and one from Nashik.
All five accused were medically examined and later produced before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court. Special CBI Judge Ajay Gupta sent them to seven-day CBI remand, allowing investigators more time to interrogate them and trace the larger network allegedly operating behind the leak.
According to the CBI, the investigation so far points toward a coordinated and organised network that allegedly circulated leaked question papers through digital platforms before the examination. Investigators told the court that findings from the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) suggested that significant portions of the leaked material matched the actual NEET-UG 2026 question paper. This reportedly became one of the major reasons behind the cancellation of the exam.
The agency alleged that on April 29, accused Yash Yadav shared PDF files containing Physics, Chemistry and Biology question papers through Telegram. Investigators claim that Mangilal Biwal obtained those papers from Yash in exchange for around Rs 10 lakh.
The CBI further alleged that Mangilal later printed copies of the leaked papers and distributed them among NEET aspirants, including his son Aman Biwal, relatives and several known contacts. Officials suspect the material was then circulated rapidly among students through WhatsApp groups and personal networks.
Investigators also claim that accused Vikash Biwal helped expand the distribution network by contacting NEET aspirants and passing their personal details to Yash Yadav. According to the agency, WhatsApp and Instagram were allegedly used to identify interested candidates and coordinate the sharing of leaked papers.
The growing investigation has now spread across multiple states including Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana, Delhi and Bihar. Officials believe the network may involve middlemen, coaching-linked contacts, digital distributors and individuals familiar with the functioning of large competitive examinations.
The CBI has confirmed that several more suspects are currently under interrogation and further action is ongoing. Officials say they are now focusing on identifying the original source of the leak, understanding how the papers were accessed and determining whether insiders connected to the examination system were involved.
The controversy has triggered nationwide outrage among students and parents, many of whom spent years preparing for one of India’s most competitive entrance examinations. The cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 has also intensified debates over examination security, accountability and the growing pressure faced by students due to repeated paper leak controversies.
As the investigation deepens, officials believe more arrests and major revelations may emerge in the coming days. With digital evidence, financial transactions and interstate links now under scrutiny, the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case is rapidly becoming one of the biggest education scandals in recent years.
