The Nashik Police in Maharashtra on Tuesday detained a man in connection with the suspected NEET paper leak case whose custody was later taken by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), officials said, reported the PTI.
Earlier in the day, crime branch unit 2 of Nashik Police detained a 30-year-old, resident of Nandgaon in the district, following a request from Rajasthan Police.
He was picked up from Indiranagar area of the city, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Kirankumar Chauhan, according to the PTI.
The NEET (UG) 2026 exam for admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges, held on May 3, was cancelled on Tuesday amid allegations of paper leak.
The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the exam for admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges, said fresh dates will be notified in the “next seven to 10 days”.
The cancellation triggered nationwide outrage among medical aspirants, with students raising questions on NTA`s competence and demanding that the exam be conducted by AIIMS-Delhi.
The government asked the CBI to carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the “irregularities”.
CBI registers FIR
The CBI on Tuesday registered an FIR regarding the alleged irregularities and paper leak in the conduct of NEET-UG 2026 Exam under various sections of BNS, Prevention of Corruption Act and Public Examination Prevention of Unfair Means Act 2024, according to the ANI.
The FIR was registered based on a written complaint received from the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.
The FIR has been registered for offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, theft and destruction of evidence under BNS, apart from PCA and offences under the Public Examination Prevention of Unfair Means Act.
Special teams formed
Special CBI teams have been formed and dispatched to various locations for investigation.
Earlier in the day, the Centre cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3, citing concerns over the integrity of the process. The government also announced that the exam will be re-conducted on a later date.
The National Testing Agency said the decision was taken after inputs from central agencies raised concerns about the examination process and its transparency.
(with PTI and ANI inputs)