The Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police has taken into custody around 45 suspects in connection with a paper leak related to the NEET UG 2026 examination, shortly after the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the prestigious test following revelations of the breach.
SOG sources said that no formal arrests have been made so far. However, authorities remain in touch with the NTA.
This issue was also raised before the SOG Additional Director General (ADG) Vishal Kumar Bansal at a media briefing on Sunday. Bansal said that since the document in question surfaced many days before the NEET exam on May 3, 2026, it was deemed a guess paper, not a paper leak.
It was later discovered that 120 questions from the 410-question guess paper matched the official question paper provided to examinees. We have briefed the NTA on our findings, the ADG said.
However, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has taken serious exception to the SOG’s failure to file an FIR on the paper leak.
Terming the situation an attempt at face-saving by the BJP-led Rajasthan government, Gehlot alleged in a post on X on Monday evening that the delay in action mirrors previous ORM sheet manipulation in the RSSSB recruitments. He claimed that the government is protecting its favourites who were allegedly tipped off about the exam.
“Just now I have heard that the SOG has illegally detained 30-40 persons in connection with the NEET paper leak. I say take due action if they have cheated and file an FIR against them. Why has it not been filed yet?” Gehlot questioned. He further accused the government of delaying legal proceedings to defame the Congress party. “Under our previous regime, we employed numerous youth. Even when paper leaks were reported, we took stringent action immediately and cancelled the exam without delay,” the senior Congress leader said.
Is the leak of the NEET paper from Rajasthan not a matter of shame for them, he quipped.
He also raised serious questions about the working in the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) with specific reference to the arrest of former Minister Mahesh Joshi in the JJM scam and alleged ACB sleuths working under high-level pressure from the government.
Condemning Joshi’s recent arrest by ACB in the wee hours at his residence, Gehlot stated, “I want to tell the ACB Director General (DG) this is not the proper way of working, this is the wrong way.” In the next breath, he added, “DG Saab himself is working under pressure. I know him, he is a nice officer.
However, he receives pressure from above, and the subordinate staff do not cooperate duly. I have information that a large section of officers in the bureau are not comfortable with this situation. They are suffering from a guilty conscience for being forced to commit wrongdoings,” the ex-CM asserted.
This situation in an institution like the ACB Bureau is not desirable; the officials should maintain sanctity in their work, norms and prescribed practices in investigation and probe, and refrain from indulging in wrongdoings under pressure.
Those who exert undue pressure would not stay in power forever, officials should keep this in mind, Gehlot added, conveying a strong message to officials.
However, Agriculture Minister Dr Kirodi Lal Meena defended the SoG for its function and dismissed Gehlot’s allegations as mere ritual by the Opposition leaders.
Meena said, “This NEET paper leak is a very serious and worrisome incident affecting the fate of lakhs of MBBS course aspirants.
He appreciated the SOG’s functioning in the case, citing their due diligence in working on clues and for apprising the NTA of its findings.
On the issue of not filing an FIR, he said that hasty FIRs and court proceedings were avoided to prevent procedural twists in the matter that could lead to delays, which would ultimately harm the career interests of the aspirants.
About Gehlot’s criticism, the Minister said that the Congress leaders have no moral right to speak on these issues, keeping in view the scams and misdeeds of their previous regime.
“The matters of their misdeed under the previous regime, including the JJM scam, were raised by me. The then government did not even file an FIR, and I was forced to stage a sit-in at the Ashok Nagar police station for registration of an FIR in the JJM scam and also fought for the youth victims in the SI Recruitment Exam 2021”.