NEET UG Paper Leak: The National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET UG 2026 examination on tuesday for over 22 lakh students after reports emerged that the question paper had been leaked before the test. The scandal reportedly began in Maharashtra's Nashik, where the first digital copy of the paper surfaced.
According to reports, Shubham Khairnar, a resident of Nashik, was detained by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly purchasing the leaked paper from a Pune-based suspect and later selling it at a profit margin of Rs 5 lakh.
After Maharashtra, the leaked paper reportedly spread to several states, including Haryana's Gurugram, Rajasthan's Jaipur and Sikar - a major coaching hub - as well as Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar and Kerala.
Who Is Shubham Khairnar And How Was He Arrested?
Shubham Khairnar, a 30-year-old resident of the Indiranagar locality in Nashik, is a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) student. He allegedly bought the leaked NEET UG paper from a Pune-based suspect for Rs 10 lakh and sold it to a buyer in Haryana for Rs 15 lakh, earning a profit of Rs 5 lakh. Reports said the paper was circulated through an encrypted messaging application.
Shubham was detained by the CBI on Tuesday afternoon while reportedly travelling to a temple for prayers. Investigators said 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, Madhukar Khairnar, termed the allegations against his son as baseless. According to him, Shubham had no connection with the paper leak racket. However, he also said that if his son's name had surfaced in the investigation, a fair and thorough probe should be conducted to establish the truth.
Reports further claimed that the paper leak involved sophisticated technology, including portable scanners, a complex Telegram network and shadow servers.
Image: Shubham Khairnar (Credit: Shubham_khairnar_011/ Instagram)
How Were The Leak Origins Traced To Maharashtra?
According to reports, the paper was being circulated nearly 45 hours before the examination. The matter first came to light when a student from Sikar studying in Kerala allegedly sent a PDF of a "guess paper" to his father, who runs a PG accommodation facility in Sikar.
The father reportedly tried to share the paper with girls staying at the hostel on the morning of the examination, but they had already left for their centres. After the exam concluded, the paper was shown to Chemistry and Biology teachers, who allegedly found that 45 out of 108 Chemistry questions and 90 out of 204 Biology questions matched the actual exam paper.
Sources claimed that some coaching institutes in Sikar asked select students to prepare for NEET using these so-called "guess papers". While some aspirants received PDF copies, others were reportedly given physical copies of the leaked paper.
The teachers initially attempted to file a complaint, but the Sikar police allegedly refused to register it. They later emailed the NTA, which reportedly informed the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The IB then directed Rajasthan's Special Operations Group (SOG) to investigate the matter.
On May 8, the SOG reportedly identified individuals in Sikar who had purchased the paper from Jaipur and later traced the network to Haryana and Nashik.
15 Arrested In Rajasthan, Including Alleged 'Mastermind'
Rajasthan's Special Operations Group (SOG) has so far arrested 15 people in connection with the case, including alleged mastermind Manish Yadav and Rakesh Mandwaria.
Rakesh Mandwaria is suspected to have links with a consultancy centre in Sikar.