Sikar , fast emerging as Rajasthan’s new Kota, is now the biggest focus area of the CBI in its probe into the NEET paper leak case. The “leak” eventually prompted the under-fire National Testing Agency (NTA) to cancel the NEET-UG exam held on May 3, 2026 , affecting over 22 lakh candidates and triggering massive protests in Delhi.
So far, the investigation by the Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG) has revealed a complex trail from Nashik , where the paper was printed, to Sikar , to other parts of the country.
How the NEET-UG Paper Got Leaked: The Full Trail
Investigators believe that the NEET-UG paper might have been leaked directly from the printing press in Nashik. Sources said a person associated with the printing press is likely to have passed the paper into a “chain network” through which it reached a doctor in Gurugram, Haryana.
A man named Khatik from Jaipur’s Jamwa Ramgarh then allegedly purchased the paper from the doctor. Sources said the CBI has already detained the person linked to the Nashik printing press.
From Jamwa Ramgarh, the paper allegedly reached a person named Rakesh Kumar Mandawaria in Sikar. Rakesh works as an MBBS counselling agent outside major coaching institutes in Sikar.
Sources said that the NEET paper got distributed through a one-to-one network across the country , reaching coaching centres in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Kerala and Uttarakhand.
The ‘Guess Paper’ Disguise
Investigators said the paper was circulated as a “guess paper.” Guess papers are basically practice questions prepared by tutors based on previous years’ trends.
In fact, the paper had been circulating for nearly 15 days before the May 3 examination , being sold to medical aspirants for anywhere between ₹30,000 and ₹28 lakh.
A student from Nagaur, who arrived in Sikar four days before the May 3 exam, shelled out ₹28 lakh for the paper. During questioning, this student said he received a call from Delhi saying the “paper had arrived.”
How the Network Got Exposed: Greed for Money
Such circulation by the paper mafia is done with utmost secrecy. But this time, the greed for money allegedly led to the network being busted.
It started with Rakesh selling the paper for ₹30,000 to one of his aides , a Sikar student studying MBBS in Kerala. Just a day before the exam, the MBBS student sent the paper to his father, a PG operator in Sikar.
The Fateful Message
“Papa, a friend from Sikar sent this to me. Please give it to the girls in your hostel. This is what will come in tomorrow’s exam ,” the message read.
Without giving it much thought, the PG operator allegedly circulated the paper among the girls staying at the hostel.
The Verification: How Many Questions Matched?
After the NEET-UG exam ended on May 3, the PG operator asked a teacher at a coaching institute to verify how many questions actually appeared in the exam.
The results were staggering:
- All 90 questions in Biology found in the “guess paper”
- All 45 questions in Chemistry found in the “guess paper”
- Total NEET exam has 180 questions (each carrying four marks)
- The “guess paper” contained 281 questions
Even more damning: investigators found that all 45 Chemistry questions in the “guess paper” were in the same sequence as the actual NEET paper , without any changes in even commas or full stops.
This level of exact replication — same sequence, same wording — eliminates any possibility of coincidence. The “guess paper” was not a guess. It was the actual exam paper.
The Crackdown: From Sikar Police to NTA to IB to CBI
After learning this, the hostel operator first approached the Udyog Nagar police station in Sikar. However, he told investigators that the police dismissed him, asking him not to spread rumours.
He then shared the information with the National Testing Agency (NTA) , which conducts the NEET exam.
The NTA passed on the information to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) , which then alerted the Rajasthan Police.
Following this, the Rajasthan SOG launched an investigation and initially detained around 15 people, including the hostel operator.
The investigation then expanded to raids in Dehradun and Jhunjhunu , detaining more suspects. Rakesh, the MBBS counsellor from Sikar who allegedly sent the paper to the Kerala-based student, has also been detained.
Why Sikar? The New Hub of Coaching Industry
Investigators have zeroed in on Sikar and Jaipur. They suspect that Sikar is likely to have become a new hub for paper leak networks.
There is a reason behind it. After Kota — a major JEE-NEET coaching hub — Sikar is rapidly emerging as one of India’s largest coaching centres. With admissions declining in Kota, a large number of students are gradually shifting towards Sikar.
The probe has revealed that while the paper may have leaked in Jaipur first, it saw its widest circulation in Sikar.
The Mastermind: Still at Large
While agencies have mapped the entire chain of the alleged leak — from Nashik printing press to Gurugram doctor to Jaipur intermediary to Sikar agent to Kerala student to PG operator — the hunt is now on to reach the mastermind behind the network.
The person at the top — who organized the leak from the printing press or coordinated the nationwide distribution — has not yet been identified or detained.
The Aftermath: Exam Cancelled, Protests Erupt
The paper leak prompted the NTA to cancel the NEET-UG exam held on May 3, 2026 , affecting over 22 lakh candidates.
This decision triggered massive protests in Delhi and other cities, with students demanding:
- A re-exam at the earliest possible date
- Strict action against the culprits
- Accountability from NTA for the security lapse
- Compensation for the wasted time, effort, and money
The cancellation also means that thousands of students who had prepared for months (some for years) will have to wait for a new exam date.
The NEET-UG Exam: Key Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Exam date | May 3, 2026 |
| Status | Cancelled |
| Total candidates | Over 22 lakh |
| Number of questions | 180 (each 4 marks) |
| Subjects | Physics, Chemistry, Biology (Botany + Zoology) |
| Conducting body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
The Paper Trail: Summary of the Leak Chain
The alleged chain of the NEET-UG paper leak is as follows:
First, a person associated with the Nashik printing press leaked the paper. The paper then reached a doctor in Gurugram, Haryana. From the doctor, it was purchased by Khatik from Jaipur’s Jamwa Ramgarh. Khatik then passed it to Rakesh Kumar Mandawaria (MBBS counselling agent) in Sikar. Rakesh sold it to an MBBS student in Kerala for ₹30,000. That student sent it to his father, a PG operator in Sikar, with a message that it would appear in the exam. The PG operator circulated it to girls in his hostel. After the exam, verification showed that all Biology and Chemistry questions matched exactly. The PG operator informed the police, who initially dismissed him, then informed the NTA, which informed the IB, which alerted the Rajasthan Police. The Rajasthan SOG began investigation, detained around 15 people, and expanded raids to Dehradun and Jhunjhunu. The CBI is now investigating.
Historical Context: NEET Paper Leaks in India
This is not the first time NEET or other major entrance exams have faced paper leak allegations. Previous cases include:
- NEET 2024 (alleged irregularities, though not a full leak)
- JEE-Mains 2023 (leak in some states)
- UGC-NET 2024 (paper leak led to cancellation)
- Teacher recruitment exams in various states
However, the scale of this leak — all Biology and Chemistry questions matching, exact sequence, nationwide distribution, prices up to ₹28 lakh — may be unprecedented.
What Happens Next?
The NTA will now have to decide on a new exam date for NEET-UG 2026. Given the scale of the leak and the investigation, a re-exam may be scheduled in June or July 2026.
The CBI’s investigation will continue, with the goal of identifying the mastermind and ensuring that all culprits — from the printing press to the agents to the buyers — are prosecuted.
For the 22 lakh affected students, the wait continues. Many will have to extend their preparation by months, adding to the already immense pressure of medical entrance exams.
