(Photo: Central Bureau of Investigation (India)'s X account)
Jaipur, May 14 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday has taken four accused persons arrested in the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper leak case to Delhi for further questioning, intensifying efforts to uncover what officials describe as a wider and more complex examination racket, officials said.
The accused, brothers Dinesh Binwal and Mangilal Binwal from Jaipur, Mangilal's son Vikas, and Yash Yadav from Haryana, will now be confronted and questioned face-to-face at the central agency's headquarters, officials added.
The move comes as investigators attempt to piece together the full chain of events behind the alleged paper leak, which has triggered widespread concern over the integrity of competitive examinations.
On Thursday morning, a CBI team conducted searches at the residence of the Binwal family at Jamwaramgarh in Jaipur.
Family members of the accused were questioned, and their statements recorded.
The central agency also searched the family's farmhouse and other linked properties, seizing documents, electronic devices, and digital records believed to be connected to the case.
Officials said one of the most striking aspects emerging during the probe is the alleged sharp and sudden rise in the family's wealth.
Local residents claim the family, which reportedly led a modest lifestyle until a few years ago, now owns luxury vehicles and assets worth several crores of rupees.
It is also alleged that three residential colonies, collectively referred to as the "Vikas Nagar" series, have been developed in the name of Dinesh's son, Vikas.
In addition, the family is said to have invested heavily in multiple land parcels and high-value farmhouses across the region, prompting probe agencies to closely scrutinise the scale and pattern of the transactions.
The CBI is also examining possible political connections that may have helped sustain the alleged network.
It is alleged that accused Dinesh has links with the youth wing of a political party, though officials have not made any formal confirmation in this regard.
During searches in Jamwaramgarh, investigators reportedly recovered digital evidence and key documents.
The central agency is also actively searching for absconding accused Rishi, who is suspected to be a key link in the operation.
The case, which is said to have impacted the futures of several students, has sparked widespread public outrage and renewed debate over examination security systems.
According to officials, the CBI is now focusing on mapping the entire network behind the alleged paper leak.
Preliminary inputs suggest that hard copies of the NEET question paper were allegedly obtained in advance, handwritten, then scanned and circulated through WhatsApp groups across Rajasthan, Haryana, and Maharashtra, with links reportedly extending to coaching networks.
Before being taken to Delhi, the four accused were produced late Wednesday night before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Jaipur Metropolitan-I), Dharmendra Kumar Sharma, at his residence in Durgapura.
The court granted transit custody of the accused to the CBI.
Eyewitnesses said the accused attempted to hide their faces as media persons gathered outside.
During proceedings, accused Mangilal allegedly claimed that "high-profile individuals involved in the case are being protected".
Both CBI and Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) teams escorted the accused to the judge's residence.
The Rajasthan SOG had initially launched the investigation after the alleged leak surfaced, detaining multiple suspects, and seizing mobile phones and electronic devices.
Around 150 candidates and their families were also questioned during the initial phase of the probe.
Sources said all evidence collected by the SOG has now been handed over to the CBI, which is expected to widen the scope of the investigation further, including scrutiny of coaching institutes and financial transactions linked to the accused.
Several earlier detainees have since been released after extensive questioning, while investigators also found that multiple members of the arrested family had previously appeared for the NEET examination.
Officials earlier indicated that a 150-page "guess paper" was allegedly circulated to students weeks before the exam, a key lead that continues to be examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
