The Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG) has so far detained 15 people in connection with the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, with investigators now probing the extent of the suspected
network and the money trail linked to the circulation of questions ahead of the examination.
According to details emerging from the investigation, the SOG on Monday detained an alleged mastermind identified as Manish from Jaipur.
Investigators suspect that the leaked question bank may have originated from Rajasthan’s Sikar district, which is now emerging as a central focus of the probe.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)-UG 2026 was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 3 for admissions to undergraduate medical courses.
However, allegations of irregularities and possible leakage of questions triggered a political storm and prompted a wider investigation by the Rajasthan SOG.
SIKAR EMERGES AS KEY LINK IN PROBE
Investigators believe that Rakesh Mandawaria, who runs SK Consultancy on Piprali Road in Sikar, may have played a key role in the alleged circulation of the question bank.
According to the investigation, Mandawaria had allegedly received the question bank as early as April.
The probe has further revealed that a student from Churu, who is currently pursuing MBBS in Kerala, was allegedly sent a PDF version of the question bank from Sikar.
The questions are believed to have spread across Sikar, Churu, Jhunjhunu and even Dehradun, according to the investigation.
Printed copies were also allegedly distributed among students.
The SOG is now attempting to determine the geographical spread of the alleged racket, including in which states the paper may have been sold and how much money changed hands in the process.
SOG FOCUSES ON ‘GUESS PAPER’ ANGLE
Rajasthan Police Additional Director General (ADG) Vishal Bansal said the investigation is currently centred around a “guess paper” containing around 410 questions that allegedly circulated among students before the examination.
“Regarding the various misconceptions surrounding the NEET examination, let me clarify one specific point: there is a guess paper containing approximately 410 questions. Out of these, it is alleged that roughly 120 questions appeared in Chemistry,” Bansal said.
He added that the document had reportedly been circulating among students “15 days to a month prior to the actual examination”.
“It is reported that this guess paper had been circulating among the students well in advance. It began reaching them as early as 15 days to a month prior to the actual examination. We are investigating on the basis of the guess paper, and it is also available in the open domain,” he said.
Bansal said the investigation is aimed at determining whether any cheating or criminal activity took place on the basis of the alleged guess paper.
“Our investigation is currently focused on determining whether any cheating or criminal activity has occurred based on this guess paper,” he said.
While Bansal had earlier stated that “no arrests” had been made, the SOG has since detained multiple individuals as part of the expanding inquiry, including the alleged mastermind from Jaipur.
NTA SAYS EXAM HELD UNDER ‘FULL SECURITY PROTOCOL’
Amid the controversy, the National Testing Agency maintained that the examination was conducted under a “full security protocol”.
In a statement posted on X, the NTA said question papers were transported in GPS-tracked vehicles carrying unique watermark identifiers, while examination centres were monitored using AI-assisted CCTV surveillance from a central control room.
Biometric verification and 5G jammers were also deployed, the agency said.
“The examination process itself proceeded as planned across all centres on the day,” the NTA said.
The agency added that it received inputs regarding alleged malpractice activity on May 7 and escalated the matter to central agencies the following day for “independent verification and necessary action”.
“The matter is presently under investigation, and the facts will be established by the agencies in due course. NTA will not pre-judge the inquiry, nor characterise its likely outcome,” the agency said.
POLITICAL ROW INTENSIFIES
The alleged irregularities have also triggered sharp political reactions from Congress leaders.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that “NEET is now an auction” and claimed that questions were being sold on WhatsApp before the exam.
Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the examination system under the Modi government had become a “symbol of disorder, distrust and chaos”, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioned how long the “cycle of ruining the youth’s future” would continue.
The BJP-led central government and the NTA, however, have maintained that the examination process followed strict security measures and that the investigation agencies are independently probing the allegations.
