CBI Takes Over NEET 2026 Paper Leak Probe As 150 Candidates Questioned Across 3 States

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has formally taken charge of the probe into the NEET 2026 paper leak case that has already seen over 150 candidates, friends and parents questioned. The decision to hand over the case to the CBI followed days of investigation by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG), which had traced the circulation of the leaked paper through a network stretching from Rajasthan to Haryana and Maharashtra. 

According to the officials, the SOG has handed over 2 dozen people to the CBI, including around 150 students and 70 parents suspected of receiving the paper. The preliminary findings showed that the paper first surfaced in Sikar before being passed to a person in Haryana and later linked to a contact in Maharashtra's Nashik. A separate connection was also found with an MBBS student in Kerala, with the material later circulated through networks in Haryana and Gurugram.

The leaked document reportedly contained 45 Chemistry and 90 Biology questions, which the accused allegedly sold for substantial sums by claiming it was the original paper. The investigating teams stated that many candidates and their families were directly involved in the transaction. However, as the CBI team is now leading the interrogations, the officials are making efforts alongside the SOG to map the full structure of the syndicate. 

The sources stated that the investigation into the NEET 2026 paper leak has intensified after investigating agencies questioned over 150 candidates, along with their friends and parents, in connection with the case. The Rajasthan SOG has been at the forefront of the probe, piecing together how the exam paper moved across state lines before the test.

It is alleged that the incident began with a leak in Sikar and later expanded to involve students, families and intermediaries across multiple states. 

Probe Stretches From Sikar To Haryana And Maharashtra

The preliminary inquiry indicated that the paper first surfaced in Rajasthan's Sikar before being passed onward. The SOG’s inquiries showed that it was then transferred to a person in Haryana, who later received it from a contact in Nashik.

The SOG has submitted details of around 150 students and 70 parents suspected of receiving the paper to the CBI, and has already handed over 24 people for further questioning. Over 2 dozen people in total have been transferred to the central agency as the joint operation gathers pace.

Further, a separate link has also emerged involving an MBBS student in Kerala, where a paper-sharing connection was identified. The material was from there through a network operating in Haryana and Gurugram, the investigating officials said. 

Content, Sales And Statements

According to the officials, the leaked document contained 45 Chemistry and 90 Biology questions. The accused are alleged to have sold it for a substantial sum, marketing it as the original paper to candidates and their families. After the revelation, many of those families are now under scrutiny after being found involved in the leak.

The Rajasthan SOG and CBI are now probing jointly to unravel the full extent of the syndicate. IG Ajay Pal Lamba said that while the investigation had traced the paper’s movement, a direct link to Rajasthan itself had not been established. “The paper leaked before reaching Rajasthan and was transferred to several hands,” he said.

The CBI has now fully taken over the case, with a team from Delhi interrogating several suspects as part of efforts to dismantle the network.

As the probe intensifies, the case has put renewed focus on the security of national-level examinations and the role of intermediaries who exploited candidates’ anxieties. The officials stated that the priority is to identify every link in the chain and prevent further leaks. Further details regarding the NEET paper leak incident are awaited.