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How a hostel owner in Rajasthan's Sikar helped unravel NEET paper leak
An MBBS student in Kerala forwarded a NEET 2026 guess paper to his father in Sikar, triggering a chain of events. The hostel owner and a chemistry teacher identified a high match rate with the NEET paper, prompting police inquiries, NTA involvement, and a multi-state investigation that led to the exam's cancellation and a re-examination plan.
Why It Matters
The case underscores how private coaching networks and individual actions can escalate into national-level investigations, involving multiple agencies across states and prompting a major policy response from the exam regulator.
Timeline
10 Events
NEET UG 2026 exam cancelled; new dates to be announced
May 12, 2026
The National Testing Agency cancelled the NEET UG 2026 exam; the exam will be held on revised dates to be notified separately. Existing applications remain valid; no re-registration or additional fee required.
Investigation expands; leads point to multi-state network
May 12, 2026
As the Special Operations Group moved in, investigators traced leads suggesting the paper was sold by persons in Jamwaramgarh to a contact in Sikar, with further links to Haryana and Maharashtra; a first-year Ayurvedic student in Haryana and a Nashik student, Shubham Khairnar, were identified in connection with the leak.
NTA escalates matter; asks SOG to investigate
May 8, 2026
The NTA responded by contacting the Intelligence Bureau and, on May 8, asked the Rajasthan Special Operations Group to investigate the case.
Hostel owner and teacher email NTA; request for action
May 7, 2026
The hostel owner and the chemistry teacher sent an email to the National Testing Agency seeking action on the NEET paper leak.
Sikar police decline to lodge case or investigate
May 3, 2026
Sikar police refused to lodge a case or investigate, citing concerns about post-exam intentions and that a complaint before the exam would have been more appropriate.
Overall match rate noted; hostel owner and teacher contact police
May 3, 2026
The duo calculated that 135 questions matched the originals and decided to approach the local police.
Chemistry teacher compares paper with NEET; matches identified
May 3, 2026
The chemistry teacher compared the 'guess paper' with the NEET paper and found that 45 of the 108 questions were exact copies. A biology colleague then found that 90 of the 204 questions matched.
Hostel owner shares the paper with a chemistry teacher
May 3, 2026
Out of curiosity, the hostel owner also shared the 'guess paper' with a chemistry teacher he knew.
Hostel owner offers the paper to NEET aspirants in his hostel
May 3, 2026
In the morning, the hostel owner went to offer the paper to four girls who were taking the NEET; they had already left for the examination centre.
MBBS student in Kerala sends 'guess paper' to Sikar hostel owner at 11 pm
May 2, 2026
An MBBS student from Rajasthan's Sikar studying in Kerala forwarded a 'guess paper' to his father, who runs a hostel in Sikar, just hours before NEET 2026. The sender suggested the paper could be useful for those taking the exam.