Investigators allege the accused bought the NEET “guess paper” through Telegram and later sold it to a Haryana-based buyer as the CBI expands its nationwide probe
Nashik: The investigation into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy intensified on Tuesday after the Nashik Crime Branch arrested a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) student accused of purchasing and circulating the controversial “guess paper” linked to the exam scandal.
The accused, identified as Shubham Khairnar, allegedly obtained the paper through Telegram before selling it onward to a buyer based in Haryana. Sources claimed he purchased the material for nearly Rs 10 lakh and later sold it for around Rs 15 lakh. Following his arrest, multiple teams of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) reached Nashik to take custody of him as part of the expanding national probe.
The development comes just hours after the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the May 3 NEET-UG examination, citing investigative findings and concerns over the integrity of the process. More than 22 lakh candidates were affected by the decision.
Investigators now suspect the paper circulated through an organised network spanning Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Kerala and other states. Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) found that all 90 Biology questions and all 45 Chemistry questions in the actual exam reportedly matched a “guess paper” containing 281 questions.
Officials said the paper had been circulated for nearly two weeks before the exam and was sold at prices ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 28 lakh. The CBI is now focusing heavily on Sikar in Rajasthan, which investigators believe emerged as a major distribution hub in the racket.
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