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A major breakthrough has been made in the NEET UG-2026 paper leak case, with Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) arresting a key absconding accused from Dehradun in Uttarakhand. The accused, identified as Rakesh, had allegedly been on the run for several weeks.

How Police Traced Rakesh?

According to police sources, Rakesh was arrested at his friend’s place, and the friend had already been arrested by Rajasthan Police on May 9. Acting on fresh inputs during the investigation, the SOG tracked down Rakesh and took him into custody from Dehradun.

The Rajasthan SOG is currently attempting to trace the entire network, and officials believe more arrests are likely in the coming days as the investigation progresses.

Meanwhile, Dehradun Police declined to speak on camera but confirmed that Rajasthan Police had sought their assistance in tracing an accused in the city. Officials said the Rajasthan team took the accused away after the arrest, though no details regarding the specific charges were shared with local police.

Paper Leaked On ‘Private Mafia’ WA Group

The Rajasthan Police Special Operations Group (SOG), probing the NEET paper leak case, has reportedly uncovered a WhatsApp group named “Private Mafia” from the mobile phones of several suspects. The group allegedly had around 400 members and contained a password-protected PDF claimed to be a leaked NEET paper along with a “guess paper”.

Investigators found that the question bank shared in the group was typed, while an earlier PDF traced from Kerala to Sikar reportedly contained handwritten questions. The SOG now suspects the handwritten material was later typed and converted into a new PDF before circulation.

Sources said the group’s pinned message warned members not to forward the paper outside the group, while the caption claimed it was created specifically for sharing leaked exam papers. Most questions in the alleged guess paper were reportedly from Chemistry. The SOG is continuing its probe and questioning detained suspects to uncover the wider network behind the alleged racket.

Taking the matter seriously, the Rajasthan SOG launched raids across multiple states. Dehradun emerged as a key location during the probe, with several suspects previously detained from the city. Officials believe Rakesh’s arrest could help uncover crucial links in what is now suspected to be a wider organised racket.

Sources said more than 20 suspects have been detained so far and are being interrogated. Several accused, including alleged masterminds behind the operation, have already been arrested.

Investigators have also uncovered a document containing over 400 questions that was allegedly circulated among students before the exam. A significant number of those questions were found to closely resemble the actual NEET UG-2026 paper, strengthening the paper leak allegations.

NEET Exam Cancelled

Following the controversy, the NEET UG-2026 examination has been cancelled. Given the scale and seriousness of the case, the possibility of a central agency probe is also being discussed.

As per the latest announcement, the decision has been taken after inputs were reviewed in coordination with central agencies and findings shared by law enforcement authorities. The agency stated that the examination process in its current form could not be allowed to continue.