CBI claims NEET-UG 2026 leak network used WhatsApp, Telegram and digital files to circulate question papers before exam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday alleged that the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak was executed through an extensive digital network, with confidential question papers being circulated via WhatsApp, Telegram and electronic files among members of the conspiracy days before the examination.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday alleged that the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak was executed through an extensive digital network, with confidential question papers being circulated via WhatsApp, Telegram and electronic files among members of the conspiracy days before the examination. In its chargesheet filed before the Special CBI Court at Rouse Avenue, the agency claims that forensic examination of seized mobile phones and other electronic devices uncovered chats, PDF documents, photographs of question papers and other digital evidence that enabled investigators to reconstruct the alleged flow of the leaked examination material from National Testing Agency (NTA) subject experts to intermediaries and ultimately to candidates.

According to the CBI, forensic analysis of accused Yash Yadav's mobile phone revealed PDF files containing the leaked NEET-UG 2026 question paper along with Telegram conversations with a contact saved as "AP Broker", later identified during the investigation as co-accused Shubham Madhukar Khairnar. The agency alleges that these digital records established the transfer of confidential examination material before the conduct of the examination.

The chargesheet further states that investigators recovered WhatsApp conversations and digital evidence from the devices of other accused as well. During searches, a mobile phone seized from accused Manisha Sanjay Waghmare allegedly contained a WhatsApp group titled "NEET 2026", which the CBI says formed part of the communication network used by the conspirators. The agency alleges that digital evidence showed the leaked papers moved through several intermediaries rather than directly from the NTA experts to candidates.

According to the investigation, the confidential material allegedly travelled from subject experts to private operators and brokers before reaching aspirants who had agreed to pay substantial amounts. The CBI has also relied upon call detail records, extraction reports of mobile phones and forensic examination of seized electronic devices to corroborate witness statements and establish communication between the accused. Investigators claim these electronic records matched the timeline of meetings and exchanges described by several witnesses during the investigation.

According to the chargesheet, the investigation further revealed that original educational certificates, blank signed cheques and other documents were exchanged between members of the network as security for payments promised after delivery of the leaked question papers. The agency has treated these recoveries as corroborative evidence of the alleged commercial arrangement behind the leak.

Based on the digital evidence, witness statements and recoveries, the CBI has charged 13 accused, including three NTA-appointed subject experts, under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. The agency maintains that the electronic trail forms a crucial pillar of its case against the accused. (ANI)