JAIPUR: An activist with alleged ties to the BJP in Rajasthan has been arrested in connection with the paper leak scandal linked to the country’s biggest medical entrance examination, NEET.
The arrest has triggered a political storm on social media, with platforms flooded with photographs showing one of the prime accused, Dinesh Binwal, alongside several senior BJP leaders.
Investigators claim that Dinesh Binwal and his brother Mangilal, residents of Jamwa Ramgarh in Jaipur district, purchased the paper between April 26 and 27 for nearly Rs 30 lakh.
Dinesh allegedly provided the paper to his son, who was preparing for NEET in Sikar, before distributing it further to several candidates on April 29. Both Binwal and his brother had reportedly travelled to Sikar for the operation.
Investigators are also examining possible links to last year’s NEET examination. Notably, four children from Dinesh Binwal’s family had reportedly qualified for NEET last year. Sources claim that the Haryana-based network being probed has also revealed information related to the previous year’s examination.
According to the SOG, Dinesh allegedly sold the leaked paper to several individuals in Sikar, including hostel operators and consultancy firms. The probe has further indicated that the racket may have been deeply entrenched in the coaching hub, where institute administrators, students and middlemen allegedly operated WhatsApp groups and channels to circulate leaked examination material.
The investigation has also brought another accused, Rakesh Mandavriya, under the scanner. Rakesh allegedly operated a consultancy office opposite a coaching institute in Sikar and was involved in counselling activities.
Investigators believe he had received the paper several days before the examination. The SOG later detained Rakesh and his associates from Dehradun. Officials suspect that he procured the paper through Dinesh Binwal.
Investigators say Rakesh circulated the paper not only among students but also among PG operators and coaching faculty members. Agencies are now struggling to determine the exact number of beneficiaries involved in the racket.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now formally taken over the case. On Tuesday night, a CBI team reached the SOG headquarters in Jaipur to collect details related to the investigation. So far, the SOG has arrested 15 people, while the opposition claims that more than 45 individuals have been detained or questioned.
With Binwal now allegedly linked to the conspiracy behind the NEET paper leak, the opposition Congress has gone on the offensive against the BJP government over the issue. Opposition leaders allege that the government, which had previously promised strict action against paper leak mafias, is now facing allegations involving its own political circles.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully have both questioned whether the government tried to suppress the matter because the accused was linked to the BJP.
In a post on X, Gehlot alleged that the government deliberately avoided filing an FIR despite repeated questions being raised since May 11.
“Dinesh Binwal, arrested in the NEET paper leak case, is a BJP office-bearer. Is this the reason why the BJP government tried to conceal the matter and did not register an FIR?” Gehlot wrote, adding that “the BJP’s secret has now been exposed.”
Gehlot also posted a photograph of a poster featuring the accused, in which he was shown as BJYM district secretary in Jaipur Rural.
Meanwhile, BJP state office in-charge Mukesh Pareek said Binwal did not hold any post in the party.
The Congress also staged protests across Rajasthan on Wednesday. Demonstrations were held in Jaipur and several other districts, where party workers burned effigies of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and demanded his resignation. Protesters also raised questions over the role of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Central government.
