NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak Probe Expands Across States, WhatsApp Trail Leads Investigators to Major Syndicate

The investigation into the suspected leak of the NEET-UG 2026 question paper in Rajasthan reportedly began with a small but revealing clue on WhatsApp — the label “Forwarded many times.”

Investigators tracing the circulation of what was initially believed to be a “guess paper” soon realised that the matter was far bigger than an isolated leak.

According to officials of the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG), the paper was being circulated through a WhatsApp group named “Private Mafia,” where members allegedly paid amounts starting from around Rs 5,000 to gain access.

Officials said that despite repeated warnings from group administrators not to forward the document, the paper spread rapidly across multiple states through social media and messaging platforms.

Preliminary findings by investigators suggested that the alleged leak may have originated from Nashik in Maharashtra.

Police in Nashik confirmed that they had detained a medical student identified as Shubham Khairnar, who is accused of obtaining the question paper several days before the examination and distributing it further.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Kishor Kale said initial questioning suggested that Shubham received the paper from one of his associates based in Pune.

“He obtained a physical copy of the paper and later circulated it digitally,” Kale said.

Investigators are currently trying to determine whether the shared document was merely a “guess paper” or the actual leaked examination paper.

Police said Shubham had studied Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) in Bhopal and was living with his family in Nashik.

Rajasthan SOG alerted Nashik police on Tuesday morning, after which he was taken into custody and brought to the crime branch office for questioning.

“As per preliminary inquiry, he appears to have been part of the syndicate involved in the leak. He is now being handed over to the CBI,” Kale said.

However, he rejected claims that the leak originated in Nashik, saying the examination paper was not printed there.

Another senior officer, Deputy Commissioner of Police Kirankumar Chauhan, said the accused had altered his appearance by cutting his hair to avoid recognition.

Police were eventually able to trace him using technical surveillance and investigation methods.

Investigators suspect that Shubham may have purchased the paper for around Rs 10 lakh and later sold it onward for nearly Rs 15 lakh.

According to officials, copies of the paper were allegedly circulated to contacts in Gurgaon and later spread to states including Rajasthan, Kerala, Bihar, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Students as well as career counsellors are believed to have received the document.

The SOG team also visited Sikar during the investigation, bringing attention to the district that has increasingly emerged as a major coaching hub for NEET aspirants alongside Kota.

Officials claimed that an MBBS student from Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region, currently studying in Kerala, allegedly forwarded the paper to their father before the examination.

The father reportedly runs a paying guest accommodation facility in Shekhawati, from where the paper was allegedly shared further.

SOG Inspector General Ajay Pal Lamba said investigators have so far questioned more than 150 candidates, along with their parents and associates.

A list containing details of 150 students and around 70 parents who allegedly received the paper has also been shared with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Lamba said two dozen key suspects have already been handed over to the central agency.

According to the investigation so far, the accused allegedly planned to market the original examination paper under the guise of a “guess paper” to avoid suspicion.

“Questioning has pointed towards the involvement of an organised network,” Lamba said. “It is incorrect to say Rajasthan is the epicentre of the leak.

The paper reached Rajasthan through other states and had already reached a person near Gurgaon before that. The leak did not originate in Rajasthan.”

He also clarified that investigators have not yet found any connection between this case and the gangs previously linked to paper leak scandals in Rajasthan.

Sources said that before the WhatsApp trail exposed the alleged racket, a whistleblower from Rajasthan had first approached local police but did not receive much response.

The person later contacted the National Testing Agency (NTA), which reportedly verified parts of the complaint, leading the Rajasthan SOG to formally begin an investigation.

However, the whistleblower himself is now reportedly under scrutiny for allegedly receiving and sharing the paper.

Investigators suspect he may have approached authorities after fearing arrest once the leak became widespread.

NTA Director General Abhishek Singh said on Tuesday that the whistleblower had informed authorities about receiving a WhatsApp message before the examination containing several questions that later appeared in the actual test.

Earlier, while speaking to reporters in Jaipur, Additional Director General of Police Vishal Bansal said the so-called “guess paper” contained more than 400 questions, of which nearly 120 reportedly matched the actual NEET examination.

He added that the document had been circulating among students weeks before the exam — possibly even a month earlier — in the form of a 150-page PDF file shared digitally through WhatsApp and other platforms.