Maha to cooperate in NEET paper leak probe: Fadnavis

Following the cancellation of the NEET exam due to a paper leak, Maharashtra's Chief Minister has pledged full cooperation with the CBI investigation to bring all those involved to justice.

IMAGE: NSUI members protest in front of the Education Ministry, Shastri Bhawan, against the alleged NEET 2026 scam under the leadership of NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar, in New Delhi, May 12, 2026. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points

A suspect from Nashik, Maharashtra, has been arrested in connection with the NEET paper leak.
The NEET (UG) 2024 exam was cancelled due to allegations of a paper leak, impacting over 22 lakh students.
The Centre has directed the CBI to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the NEET irregularities.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said action should be taken against every person involved in the NEET 'paper leak' case and assured police in the state, where link of the scandal has emerged, would extend cooperation in the ongoing CBI probe.

The NEET (UG) 2024 exam for admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges, held on May 3, was cancelled on Tuesday amid allegations of paper leak. The Centre has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the "irregularities".

Maharashtra's Response to NEET Paper Leak

"We want action to be taken against every person involved in the matter, right down to the lowest level," said Fadnavis when asked about the paper leak case.

The CM, who holds the Home portfolio, assured the state police would extend full cooperation to the central agency in the ongoing probe.

Arrests and Detentions in the Case

Shubham Khairnar (30), a resident of Nandgaon in Nashik district in north Maharashtra, has been arrested in connection with the case. On Wednesday, he was produced before a Mumbai court, which sent him to two-day transit remand of the CBI.

The crime branch unit 2 of the Nashik Police detained Khairnar on Tuesday following a request from the Rajasthan Police.

In a related development, a woman has been detained by the Pune Police for her alleged connection to the NEET paper leak case and handed over to the CBI, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Impact on Medical Aspirants

The cancellation of the exam left over 22 lakh medical courses aspirants and their families anxious about the fresh examination date, admit cards, examination centres and the counselling timeline.

Disclaimer: News content is sourced from the stated source. Headlines, summaries, section headers, and images are automatically generated or selected using AI/algorithms and may not always be fully accurate. Readers are advised to refer to the full article for complete context.