NEET UG Paper Leak Case: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made its first major breakthrough in the NEET-UG paper leak case, arresting five individuals in coordinated actions across the country on Wednesday. The arrests, spanning three states, signal a rapid intensification of the probe just a day after the central agency formally took over the investigation.
Among those taken into custody, three individuals were arrested from Jaipur, one from Gurugram, and one from Nashik, officials confirmed. The suspect held in Nashik has been identified as 30-year-old Shubham Khairnar. He was detained by the Nashik Police on Tuesday following a specific request from the Rajasthan Police.
The CBI obtained a transit remand for Khairnar from a local magistrate court in Nashik and is now bringing him to Delhi for detailed questioning. The swift movement of suspects to the national capital indicates that the central agency is centralising its interrogation process to cross-verify statements and piece together the larger conspiracy.
Simultaneously, agency officials are questioning several other suspects in various cities. Authorities have not ruled out further arrests in the coming hours, suggesting that the initial questioning of those apprehended is generating fresh leads.
The investigating teams are focusing heavily on the digital trail. The CBI has seized a cache of digital devices from the arrested individuals, including mobile phones and laptops. These devices are set to undergo a rigorous forensic examination. The primary aim is to trace the messaging applications believed to have been used by the suspects to circulate the leaked examination papers.
Agency sources said the CBI is working in close coordination with the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police. The SOG had previously conducted a preliminary enquiry into the matter, and their groundwork is now being leveraged by the central agency to connect the dots.
“The CBI is pursuing all leads relating to the alleged paper leak through extensive technical and forensic analysis and remains committed to conducting a comprehensive, impartial and professional investigation into the matter,” an official familiar with the developments said.
In a separate but related move, a CBI team visited the headquarters of the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Wednesday. The officials went to collect crucial documents pertaining to the NEET UG examination. During their visit, the team also held discussions with NTA officials who were directly involved in the examination process.
The CBI had registered a First Information Report (FIR) and constituted specialised teams to probe the allegations of a paper leak. The controversy ultimately led to the cancellation of the NEET-UG examination that was conducted on May 3. The agency has now launched searches at multiple locations across the country based on the emerging leads from the interrogation of the suspects.
