JAIPUR: One of the accused arrested by the CBI in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case alleged on Wednesday that “big people” involved in the racket were being protected even as smaller players were being targeted by investigators.The remark was made when the accused were being taken out after being produced before a magistrate at his residence in Jaipur late Wednesday evening under heavy security arrangements.As media persons attempted to question the accused seated inside the vehicle, one of them shouted: “Bade logon ko bachaya jata hai aur aam aadmi ko pareshan kiya jata hai (Bigwigs are being protected while ordinary people are being harassed)” as reported by news agency PTI.Read more: CBI arrests five, including three from Jaipur family, in NEET paper leak caseThe statement has added a fresh layer to the widening NEET-UG leak scandal, with investigators already probing whether the network extends beyond the currently arrested suspects and involves more influential handlers operating behind the scenes.The CBI on Wednesday arrested five accused in the case, including three from Jaipur, Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal and Dinesh Biwal, along with Yash Yadav from Gurugram and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik.Soon after the court proceedings, a CBI official confirmed to reporters outside the magistrate’s residence that the accused were being taken to Delhi on transit remand for further questioning.Investigators suspect the alleged paper leak network stretched across Rajasthan, Haryana and Maharashtra, with the so-called “guess paper” circulated through coaching contacts, couriers and social media channels before the May 3 NEET-UG exam, which was later cancelled.The Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG), which first uncovered the case, had traced the origins of the circulated “guess paper” to a medical student linked to Sikar’s coaching ecosystem. The probe was later transferred to the CBI by the Centre.Sources said investigators believe the question set may have originated from Pune before being routed through Nashik and then distributed further in Rajasthan and Haryana.The SOG had earlier detained Yash Yadav, a BAMS student from Haryana’s Farrukhnagar area, after raiding his village residence based on technical inputs and intelligence leads. Investigators suspect he came in contact with members of the racket during his coaching stint in Sikar.The CBI is now examining digital communication records, money trails and links between coaching institutes and the arrested accused to determine the full extent of the alleged leak network and identify any larger operators behind it.
