The CBI has expanded its NEET leak investigation to Kerala after investigators traced the circulation of a “model question paper” allegedly linked to the leaked exam.
SFI members stage a protest march in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday after the NTA cancelled NEET-UG 2026 amid allegations of a nationwide paper leak. (ANI Video Grab)
The investigation into the alleged NEET question paper leak has now reached Kerala, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing whether students from the state received a “model question paper” believed to have been prepared using the leaked original exam paper.
The Kerala link emerged after Rajasthan Police shared details of around 200 students suspected of accessing the leaked material. Investigators are now examining possible connections in two Kerala districts, while also probing the role of a Rajasthan-based medical student currently studying in the state.
Advertisement
Officials suspect the student, originally from Churu district in Rajasthan, may have acted as a conduit in circulating the paper among NEET aspirants in Kerala. The development comes as the CBI broadens its probe into what investigators describe as a highly organised interstate examination racket spanning multiple states.
Advertisement
The agency has expanded the investigation to 10 states and constituted a special investigation team with four dedicated squads to trace the network involved in the alleged leak.
According to preliminary findings, investigators believe the paper may have been leaked directly from the printing press in Nashik, Maharashtra, where this year’s NEET examination papers were printed. This marks a shift from earlier exam scams, where leaks were often suspected during transportation or distribution stages.
The probe has centred around a medical student identified as Shubham Karniyar, who is accused of obtaining the original paper from the printing facility and passing it through intermediaries in Haryana. Officials suspect the paper eventually reached operatives based in Rajasthan’s Sikar district.
To avoid raising suspicion, the leaked paper was allegedly converted into a “model question paper” before being circulated through networks operating in Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.
Investigators claim the similarities between the model paper and the actual exam were substantial. According to the findings so far, 90 Biology questions and 35 out of 45 Chemistry questions in the circulated material matched the final NEET examination paper.
The papers were allegedly sold through Telegram and WhatsApp groups for amounts ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2 lakh.
The CBI is continuing its investigation into the wider network and the possible involvement of students, intermediaries and coaching-linked operators across states.
Advertisement
