NEET leak paper was scanned into PDFs before circulation, suspect investigators

Jaipur: Investigators probing the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak suspect the question paper that reached Rajasthan’s Sikar district was scanned and converted into PDF files before being circulated among students, sources said Thursday.

One of the five accused arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Dinesh Biwal, is suspected to have scanned the hard copy of the paper and shared it digitally.

According to sources, Dinesh Biwal allegedly obtained the leaked paper from Gurgaon’s Yash Yadav, for his son, who was preparing for NEET-UG 2026, and later shared or sold it to other students known to him in Sikar district. Officials have not confirmed whether Dinesh’s son is in custody or absconding.

Before handing over the case to CBI, Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) questioned several students from coaching institutes in Sikar. Sources said CBI teams are expected to reach Sikar in the coming days to question more people linked to the case.

Investigators said some people questioned earlier, including Rakesh Mandawariya, a “paper solver” and “MBBS consultant” who runs RK consultancy in Sikar, and another individual identified as SN Choudhary, have not been formally arrested and may be released pending further investigation.

CBI teams Thursday conducted searches at the Jamwa-Ramgarh residence of Dinesh and his brother Mangilal, seizing documents and other materials, sources said. Investigators believe Dinesh and Mangilal played a central role in disseminating the leaked paper in Rajasthan, although the original source of the leak could not initially be traced by the SOG.

Sources said the brothers claimed to be involved in property-related business, but investigators suspect they may also have been linked to other questionable activities. Officials are examining the role of another suspect from Sikar who allegedly ran a NEET coaching centre that later shut down due to poor business, as agencies widen their probe into the network.