NEET-UG Paper Leak: Court Grants CBI 2-Day Transit Remand For Key Accused

Mumbai (IANS): The Mumbai Killa Court on Wednesday granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) two-day transit custody of accused Shubham Khairnar. The agency will produce Khairnar before a Delhi court on Thursday as the probe into the nationwide examination racket intensifies.

Disguise and Detention

The CBI apprehended Khairnar, a 30-year-old BAMS student from Nashik’s Indiranagar, on Tuesday afternoon. In a desperate bid to evade the law, Khairnar had reportedly cut his hair to alter his appearance. However, investigators successfully identified him through technical surveillance and a comparison of recent sightings with older photographs while he was headed to a temple.

The “Paper Pipeline” Exposed

The CBI’s investigation highlights a lucrative and highly organized interstate trade of the leaked medical entrance paper:

• The Purchase: Khairnar allegedly bought the leaked NEET-UG paper from a Pune-based middleman for ₹10 lakh.
• The Profit: He then reportedly sold the document to a buyer in Gurugram, Haryana, for ₹15 lakh, pocketing a quick profit of ₹5 lakh.
• The Spread: From this initial transaction, the paper allegedly cascaded through digital networks to Jaipur, Sikar, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, and Kerala.

Custodial Interrogation Necessary

During the hearing, the CBI argued that Khairnar’s custodial interrogation is vital to unmasking several unidentified accomplices. The agency believes Khairnar is a crucial link between the source of the leak—suspected to be in Nashik—and the national distribution network.

The development follows the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) decision on Tuesday to cancel the May 3 exam, which has thrown the academic futures of over 22 lakh candidates into uncertainty. The CBI is now tracking the financial trail and digital footprints to dismantle the entire syndicate behind one of India’s largest entrance exam frauds.