New Delhi, May 12 : Is it a massive coincidence, a highly sophisticated cheating ring, or an outright paper leak? That’s exactly what the Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) is trying to figure out following the latest bombshell to hit the NEET UG 2026 medical entrance exam.
At the center of the storm is a suspiciously accurate “guess paper.” Circulated just two days before the May 3 exam, this handwritten document contained 150 questions. Bizarrely, those questions perfectly mirrored 600 out of the 720 total marks on the actual test. Every single one of the 90 Biology questions and 45 Chemistry questions aligned flawlessly with what students ultimately faced in the exam hall.
So, how did this spread?
The digital footprint points to a surprisingly widespread, cross-country network. Investigators traced the origins back to a medical student down in Kerala. On May 1, this student reportedly fired off a link containing the massive question bank to a friend over in Sikar, Rajasthan via social media. The file didn’t stop there. It quickly found its way to a local Paying Guest (PG) hostel owner, who then blasted it out to students and various career counselors.
Interestingly, it was actually a PG hostel owner who blew the whistle. Noticing the unbelievable similarities between the widely shared guess paper and the actual exam, they approached the local police. After facing initial dismissal, the whistleblower went straight to the National Testing Agency (NTA). That bold move sparked serious interventions from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the SOG.
The resulting crackdown has been swift. Operating on IB intel, authorities rounded up 13 suspects across Sikar, Jhunjhunu, and Dehradun. One major figure in the spotlight is Rakesh Kumar Mandawaria, who runs a consultancy office in Sikar. Police are currently diving deep into his background and online connections with influential individuals.
Despite the glaring 600-mark overlap, SOG Additional Director General (ADG) Vishal Bansal is hesitant to officially label it a traditional “leak” just yet. He pointed out that actual leaked papers aren’t usually tossed around publicly under the guise of “guess papers.” Currently, authorities are leaning towards investigating it as a massive, organized cheating conspiracy fueled by a freakishly accurate question bank. Though 15 people have been taken in for questioning, formal arrests are still pending.
Meanwhile, the NTA is aggressively defending the integrity of the test process. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the agency highlighted their hardcore security protocols: GPS-tracked transport vehicles, AI-monitored CCTVs, strict biometric verification to stop impersonators, and unique watermarks on every single test booklet. According to the NTA, the exam went off without a hitch.
But for millions of stressed-out students and their families, the “peaceful” narrative just doesn’t cut it right now. As the SOG continues sifting through call logs, chats, and digital trails, the entire country is waiting to see if this was a wild coincidence or a devastating breach of India’s biggest medical exam.
