NEET-UG examination 2026: One suspect arrested from Nashik

After the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the NEET-UG examination 2026 due to an alleged paper leak, Maharashtra police on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) arrested one suspect in the Nashik district to probe the allegations of the exam paper leak.

Also read: NEET-UG 2026 cancelled highlights on May 12, 2026

According to Kiran Kumar Chavan, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Nashik City, a request was received from the Rajasthan Police on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) regarding an accused involved in the NEET case. Acting on the request, the Crime Branch took the accused into custody and will hand him over to the Rajasthan Police upon their arrival.

Mr. Chavan said, “The accused had changed his appearance in an attempt to evade arrest, which initially created difficulties for the police. However, he was eventually tracked down and arrested using technical evidence and surveillance.” 

The accused is said to be from Nashik’s Nandgaon village and has been pursuing BAMS. 

On Tuesday (May 12, 2026), NEET-UG examinations to be held in May were cancelled due to the alleged paper leak. The government has initiated a CBI enquiry. This is the second time that the question paper has been leaked; the first was in 2024. As there was not enough proof of a “systemic” nationwide leak, the exam was not cancelled. 

The cancellation of NEET has received flak from the opposition in the state, as lakhs of students are affected. 

NCP-SP leader Rohit Pawar said, “With the threads of this paper leak case reaching Nashik, Maharashtra is facing significant embarrassment. Due to the #NEET scam, 22 lakh students across the country have been affected, including 2.25 lakh students from Maharashtra.”

He pointed out that in 2023, through the Yuva Sangharsh Yatra, a demand was made to bring a law concerning paper leaks. After the central government provided the Draft, the state government also enacted the law. However, that law had many shortcomings. “To address those shortcomings, I appealed in the Legislative Assembly, but unfortunately, it was left unheard,” he posted on X. 

“This has been happening for years now; only this time they have enough evidence because the paper was leaked days before the exam. A lot of money is involved as private coaches want to show their success rate and attract students,” alleged Mumbai-based parent representative Sudha Shenoy. 

Rohini Khadse, NCP-SP leader, claimed, “The 131 questions out of 281 questions in the guess paper have been used in the #NEET question paper. Due to the paper leak in this manner, the NEET exam has been cancelled.”

“Such large-scale corruption cannot happen without the involvement of people within the system. A CBI inquiry into this matter will take place. Strict action must be taken against whoever is involved in it; the Education Minister should take responsibility for this failure and resign,” Mr. Khadse said on X.