India’s medical entrance examination system has been rocked again. The NEET UG 2026 paper leak — exposing a network stretching from a Haryana source to Rajasthan distributors and Sikar coaching centres — has led to the cancellation of the exam taken by over 22 lakh students on May 3, a CBI investigation, five arrests, and a Supreme Court petition demanding a complete overhaul of the National Testing Agency. Here is the complete timeline and all key details as they stand.
The exam and the cancellation
The NEET UG 2026 examination for admissions in undergraduate medical courses was held on May 3, 2026. The NTA cancelled the exam on Tuesday amid allegations of paper leak, announcing that the country’s biggest undergraduate medical entrance test will be re-conducted on dates to be notified separately. In a statement, NTA said the decision was taken after inputs were examined in coordination with central agencies, and findings shared by law enforcement agencies raised concerns over the integrity of the examination process.
How the paper was leaked: The chain
Initial investigations have revealed a step-by-step chain of how the NEET UG 2026 question paper reached students in Rajasthan’s Sikar district — one of India’s most concentrated coaching centre hubs for medical and engineering entrance examinations.
The Special Operations Group of Rajasthan Police, which initiated the probe before the case was transferred to the CBI, found that the origins of a guess paper containing questions similar to those asked in the exam were traced to a student from Sikar district pursuing MBBS in Kerala who shared it with his friends and a hostel owner.
Dinesh Biwal and his brother Mangilal Biwal received the guess paper containing 120 questions of NEET-2026 from a person from Haryana. They purchased it for ₹15 lakh and then sold it to several students in Sikar.
The paper then reached Yash Yadav. Through Yash Yadav, the NEET UG paper reached Rajasthan. Yash knew Vikas Biwal — son of Dinesh Biwal. Dinesh Biwal scanned the hard copy of the question paper and made PDF files. The accused had handwritten the question paper and then scanned it. He reportedly distributed this question paper among students studying at coaching centres in Sikar. Yash Yadav did not clear the examination himself — he is a student of the Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medical Sciences (BAMS).
Students who received the leaked paper reportedly paid between ₹2 lakh and ₹5 lakh each for access to the material.
CBI arrests: Five people from three cities
The CBI arrested five accused persons and conducted searches at several locations across the country. The five arrested are Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal, and Dinesh Biwal from Jaipur; Yash Yadav from Gurugram; and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik. Among the arrested, Khairnar (30) is being brought to Delhi for further questioning after a local magistrate court sent him to transit remand of the CBI.
Shubham Khairnar has denied being the mastermind. CBI is trying to probe the source of the leak — specifically tracing who was the original point of compromise in the paper supply chain upstream of the Biwal family.
The CBI registered the FIR on May 12 based on a written complaint from the Department of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education. The FIR was registered for offences including criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
During the searches and arrests, several incriminating materials and electronic devices including mobile phones and laptops were seized. These will be sent for forensic examination to get a trail of messaging applications on which the papers were circulated. The agency is coordinating with the Special Operations Group of Rajasthan, which had conducted a preliminary inquiry in the case.
The Biwal family BJP link and political row
The arrests triggered a political row after former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot targeted the BJP over the case. Gehlot posted a photo of a poster in which Dinesh Biwal is shown as BJYM district secretary in Jaipur rural. Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad claimed that two accused persons from Rajasthan have links with BJP leaders and ministers.
The SOG also examined how five candidates from Dinesh Biwal’s family cleared the NEET examination last year — a thread that investigators are pursuing as part of the money trail verification.
Dinesh Biwal’s wife Rajni stated her husband cannot be involved in such a case, adding she was in Sikar with her son for NEET preparations.
A Union minister speaking at a programme in Jhunjhunu said: “I apologise on behalf of the Government of India, the Rajasthan government and also at a personal level for the hardship caused to hardworking students.”
CBI visits NTA office and ongoing investigation
A CBI team reached the National Testing Agency office in Delhi as investigators probe the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak and irregularities. CBI has questioned coaching institute staff and owners. Statements of students as well as the accused are being recorded. The money trail needs to be verified, according to sources.
Supreme Court and calls for NTA overhaul
The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) moved the Supreme Court challenging the systemic failure of the NTA in conducting NEET UG 2026, seeking a complete overhaul of the NTA and its replacement with a technologically advanced and autonomous body.
The NSUI held protests with workers climbing barricades at Shastri Bhavan. Opposition parties intensified calls for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. Educator Khan Sir publicly sought the death penalty for the guilty and slammed NTA and CBI over the exam cancellation.
What happens next
The CBI investigation remains active with further arrests possible as more suspects are being questioned across multiple cities. The money trail — tracing the ₹15 lakh paid for the paper upstream to its original source — is the critical investigative thread. New dates for the re-conduct of NEET UG 2026 are yet to be announced by NTA. Over 22 lakh students who appeared for the May 3 examination are awaiting clarity on their academic future.
This is a developing story. Business Upturn will update coverage as the CBI investigation progresses and new dates for NEET UG 2026 re-conduct are announced.