Jaipur

Investigators probing the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 question paper have traced the circulation of a “guess paper” containing questions similar to those asked in the medical entrance exam to an MBBS student from Rajasthan studying in Kerala, officials said on Wednesday.

According to senior officers of Rajasthan’s Special Operations Group (SOG), the student, a native of Sikar district, had initially received the material from one of his associates before forwarding it to friends and a hostel operator in Sikar.

Inspector General of the SOG, Ajay Pal Lamba, said the document was subsequently circulated among medical aspirants in Sikar before reaching candidates in Jaipur and adjoining areas ahead of the examination conducted on May 3.

Officials said the hostel operator distributed the material among students residing at his facility, claiming it could prove useful for exam preparation. However, the same hostel owner later alerted local police after realising that the question bank had reached a large number of candidates.

Investigators suspect that the material was routed through an intermediary based in Gurugram before being circulated in Rajasthan.

Following reports of a possible paper leak, joint teams comprising personnel from police units in Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Alwar, Jaipur City, Jaipur Rural and the SOG questioned over 150 individuals, including candidates, their parents and close associates.

During the inquiry, officials found that the document had allegedly reached select individuals in Rajasthan before the commencement of the examination.

Lamba said the preliminary findings were shared with the National Testing Agency, after which the Centre decided to cancel the examination. The investigation has now been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

A CBI team arrived at the SOG headquarters late Tuesday evening to formally take over the case. Officials said statements, digital evidence and other materials gathered during the probe have been transferred to the central agency.

More than two dozen suspects have also been handed over to the CBI for further questioning, with investigators suspecting the involvement of an organised network.

During forensic analysis, officials found that the password-protected PDF files circulated among aspirants contained nearly 45 chemistry questions and 90 biology questions with answers that allegedly matched the actual examination paper.

Investigators also came across a social media group named “Private Mafia”, through which the files were reportedly shared.

So far, officials said, no evidence has emerged indicating the direct involvement of coaching institutes.

The investigation gathered momentum after the hostel owner in Sikar lodged a complaint at Udyog Nagar police station and informed the NTA about the circulation of what was initially described as a “guess paper”.

Sources said senior SOG officers, including Additional Director General Vishal Bansal and IG Lamba, held a late-night review meeting on May 8, where the circulated document was matched with the original examination paper.

After finding multiple similarities, investigators launched immediate raids with the assistance of Sikar police and detained several suspects. A printing shop operator was also taken into custody after it emerged that some candidates had obtained printed copies of the document from his establishment.

The probe later expanded beyond Rajasthan, with investigators suspecting that the leak may have originated in Nashik. Acting on inputs from Rajasthan authorities, police in Maharashtra reportedly detained one individual for questioning.

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Officials said no FIR has been registered in Rajasthan so far, as further legal proceedings will now be carried out by the CBI, which is leading the investigation.