NEET Paper Leak: Accused Shubham Khairnar Produced Before Mumbai Court by CBI

The court sent him to a two-day transit remand. The accused will be produced before a Delhi court by the CBI on Wednesday.

Sources said conducting the examination afresh may take nearly two months. The NEET exam is likely to be held around mid-July, while the results could be declared by mid-August.

Source : PTI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• NEET accused sent to two-day transit remand.
• CBI seeks custody to trace Shubham Khairnar's associates.
• Revised NEET exam schedule likely within next week.

In the NEET paper leak case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) produced arrested accused Shubham Khairnar before Mumbai’s Kila Court.

The court sent him to a two-day transit remand. The accused is expected to be produced before a Delhi court on Wednesday.

The CBI informed the court that Khairnar allegedly has several associates linked to the case and that his custody is required to identify and trace other members of the network.

BJP Worker, Brother Questioned In Rajasthan

The investigation has meanwhile taken a political turn after BJP worker Dinesh Biwal and his brother Mangilal Biwal from Rajasthan’s Jamwaramgarh were taken into custody in connection with the alleged leak racket.

The two were initially detained by the Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) before being handed over to the CBI, which is now leading the investigation. Sources said both are currently being questioned over their alleged role in the case.

According to investigators, the brothers allegedly purchased the leaked NEET question paper for around Rs 30 lakh. Probe agencies claim the paper was sourced through Rakesh Mandwariya, a consultancy operator based in Rajasthan’s Sikar district, who was later detained from Dehradun.

Investigators Probe Alleged Distribution Network

Investigators suspect the Biwal brothers initially procured the paper for children within their own family who were preparing for medical entrance examinations.

Agencies further suspect that after obtaining the paper, the accused allegedly circulated it among other students and parents in an attempt to recover money and profit from the leak network.

Authorities are now examining whether admissions secured by other family members studying medicine may also have involved irregularities. Sources said the CBI could question additional relatives as the investigation expands.

Political Row Erupts Over BJP Links

Dinesh Biwal is said to be an active BJP worker associated with the Jamwaramgarh Assembly constituency in Jaipur district. Sources claimed he regularly participated in party activities and had organised several BJP programmes in the region.

He was also reportedly associated with the BJP Yuva Morcha and had briefly held an organisational role within the youth wing.

Following his detention, the Congress targeted the BJP and shared photographs on social media allegedly showing Dinesh Biwal with Rajasthan Cabinet Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. Congress leaders cited the images while questioning the BJP over the controversy.

Sources also claimed that Biwal maintained close ties with several BJP leaders through his political activities. On April 27, during BJP national president Nitin Navin’s visit to Jaipur, Dinesh allegedly arranged welcome hoardings at multiple locations.

Fresh NEET Schedule Likely Within A Week

Sources said a revised NEET examination schedule could be announced within the next week, possibly before next Wednesday or Thursday.

Officials indicated that conducting the examination afresh may take nearly two months. According to sources, the re-examination is likely to be held around mid-July, while results could be declared by mid-August.

The delay is also expected to push the start of the new academic session by nearly a month.

CBI Collects Information From NTA Office

Sources further said that the CBI has collected information from the National Testing Agency (NTA) office regarding the entire process, from publication of the question paper to the conduct of the examination.

Investigators believe the leak network may have operated across multiple states and involved intermediaries, consultancy operators and students. Earlier findings suggested the leaked paper had been circulated among students and parents days before the examination.

Probe agencies also alleged that accused Rakesh Mandwariya played a significant role in distributing the paper to a large number of aspirants. Officials claimed some accused admitted during questioning that they had advance information about the leak nearly a month before it became public, enabling them to organise distribution before the examination.

The Centre had cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination following allegations of widespread irregularities and later transferred the investigation to the CBI.