NEET Paper Leak Scandal: The NEET-UG 2026 examination cancellation has placed the National Testing Agency (NTA) under intense scrutiny, with allegations of an organised paper leak and alleged insider involvement shaking the credibility of the country's largest medical entrance test. The examination, which saw participation from over 22 lakh candidates on May 2, was cancelled on May 12 amid rising concerns of a paper leak. The re-test is now scheduled for June 21.
The case is currently being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has so far arrested 11 accused from multiple states, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, officials said.
Supreme Court pulls up NTA, says it has 'not learnt lessons'
The Supreme Court on Monday expressed serious concern over the functioning of the NTA, observing that the agency appeared to have "not learnt any lesson from the past" and continued to repeat procedural lapses.
A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe stated that the examination process itself would be examined closely. The court noted that it had issued strict directions two years ago to make the NEET examination system foolproof.
In 2024, the top court had already flagged concerns over the conduct of the examination, observing that the manner in which the NTA organised NEET raised "serious concerns" and that the sanctity of the exam had been compromised.
The Supreme Court has also directed the Centre-appointed committee led by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan, tasked with reviewing and overhauling the functioning of the NTA, to submit details on steps taken to comply with earlier directions.
CBI probe intensifies; arrests rise to 11 across states
According to officials quoted by news agency IANS, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to 11. The accused have been arrested from locations including Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, Latur and Ahilyanagar.
Investigators are examining a suspected multi-state network allegedly involved in circulating "guess papers" and leaked question sets before the examination. The trail, officials said, stretches from Kerala to Rajasthan and Maharashtra's Latur region, indicating a wider organised structure.
How the case unfolded: from 'guess papers' to CBI probe
May 1-2:
Ahead of the examination, "guess papers" allegedly containing question sets surfaced in Rajasthan and were widely circulated on WhatsApp and Telegram groups. Several questions reportedly matched those in the NEET-UG exam.
May 6-8:
The NTA reportedly received emails containing screenshots of allegedly leaked questions, sent by a teacher flagging possible irregularities, prompting alerts to central agencies.
May 11-12:
Rajasthan Police busted an alleged network operating from a rented flat in Sikar. Around 13 suspects from Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Dehradun were detained. A career counsellor in Sikar was also arrested for allegedly leaking biology questions. On May 12, the Centre ordered a CBI probe and cancelled the examination.
May 13:
The CBI formally took over the investigation and began searches across multiple states. Among those arrested was Shubham Khairnar from Nashik, accused of identifying students from affluent families and arranging leaked papers for them. Others arrested included Mangilal, Vikas and Dinesh Bival from Jaipur, and Yash Yadav from Gurugram.
May 14:
The Maharashtra link surfaced with the detention of Dhananjay Lokhande, an Ayurvedic doctor from Ahilyanagar, and Manisha Waghmare, a Pune-based beauty parlour operator, accused of acting as intermediaries in the racket.
May 15:
In Pune, PV Kulkarni, a retired chemistry professor and former NTA subject expert from Latur, was arrested. Investigators also uncovered a logistics network allegedly operating from Bihar linked to the leak.
May 16-17:
Manisha Mandhare, a senior botany lecturer and NTA subject expert from Pune, was arrested. Earlier, Manisha Havaldar, a school headmistress and another NTA subject expert, was also taken into custody. On May 17, Shivraj Motegaonkar, founder of RCC coaching institute in Latur, was arrested for his alleged role in the network.
Case under close judicial and investigative watch
With multiple arrests, cross-state links and allegations of insider involvement emerging, the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case has evolved into a complex multi-agency investigation. The Supreme Court is expected to closely monitor the functioning of the examination body as the case progresses, while the CBI continues to trace the wider network behind the alleged leak.
