The origins of a “guess paper” containing questions allegedly similar to those asked in the NEET-UG 2026 examination have been traced to an MBBS student from Rajasthan’s Sikar studying in Kerala, according to Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) officials.
SOG Inspector General Ajay Pal Lamba said the student had initially received the material from a friend before circulating it among his acquaintances in Sikar. The document later spread among coaching students and eventually reached candidates in Jaipur and nearby districts ahead of the May 3 examination.
Officials said the material was allegedly routed through an individual based in Gurugram, Haryana, before making its way to Rajasthan.
According to investigators, the MBBS student also shared the “guess paper” with a hostel owner in Sikar and several friends. The hostel owner subsequently circulated the material among students staying at the hostel, claiming it could be useful for exam preparation.
However, the same hostel owner later alerted local police about the circulation of the document, informing authorities that a question bank had been distributed among a large number of students.
Acting on reports and rumours of a possible NEET paper leak, joint teams from the SOG and police units in Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Alwar, Jaipur City and Jaipur Rural questioned more than 150 candidates, along with their parents and associates.
“The investigation revealed that the paper had allegedly reached certain individuals in Rajasthan before the commencement of the examination,” an official said.
Lamba said the findings were shared with the National Testing Agency (NTA), following which the Centre decided to cancel the NEET examination. The probe was subsequently handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A CBI team arrived at the SOG office late Tuesday evening to formally take over the investigation. Officials said all statements and evidence gathered during the preliminary inquiry have been handed over to the central agency.
Investigators suspect the involvement of an organised network, and questioning of several individuals is currently underway. More than two dozen suspects have reportedly been handed over to the CBI for further interrogation.
Police said most of those questioned were either NEET aspirants or directly linked to candidates who appeared for the examination.
During the investigation, officials also found password-protected PDF files allegedly containing around 45 chemistry questions and 90 biology questions with answers that closely matched the actual examination paper.
A social media group named “Private Mafia” was also identified, where the PDFs were reportedly circulated.
Officials clarified that no direct involvement of coaching institutes has emerged so far.
Following the examination, the hostel owner filed a complaint at the Udyog Nagar police station and with the NTA, alleging that the “question bank” had been widely distributed among students.
“The material was circulated in Sikar under the guise of a guess paper and was distributed through multiple channels, including consultants and students,” an official said.
The SOG added that no FIR has been registered in Rajasthan so far, as all further legal proceedings will now be handled by the CBI, which is leading the investigation.
(With inputs from PTI)
