The controversy surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak has taken a fresh turn with allegations that officials in Rajasthan’s Sikar district, including the local police administration, were aware of suspicious developments linked to the examination days before the matter became public. Senior police officers, though, have refuted the claims.
The NEET-UG 2026 exam held on May 3 was cancelled by the National Testing Agency (NTA) after allegations of paper leak. The exam is now rescheduled to be conducted on June 21.
Shashikant Suthar, a teacher associated with a coaching institute in Sikar who claims to be a whistleblower in the case, has alleged that senior local officials, including Sikar Superintendent of Police Praveen Nayak, were informed about a viral “guess paper” soon after the NEET examination held on May 3.
According to Suthar, his landlord Rakesh Swami, who runs a paying guest hostel in Sikar, approached him on the night of the examination with a set of question papers that had gone viral.
Suthar claimed the two later visited the director of Gurukripa Coaching Institute, after which discussions allegedly took place involving administrative officials and the district police regarding how to handle the matter.
The whistleblower has alleged that authorities decided not to address the issue locally and instead chose to escalate it directly to the National Testing Agency (NTA).
He further claimed that from the evening of May 3 until May 7, officials were deliberating over the course of action before finally sending an email to the NTA.
According to the allegations, the email was jointly sent on May 7 by Gurukripa Coaching officials, SP Praveen Nayak and hostel operator Rakesh Swami.
Suthar also claimed that immediately after the email was sent, the group received a phone call from NTA Director General Abhishek Singh.
SENIOR COP REFUTES ALLEGATIONS
However, Sikar SP Praveen Nayak has categorically denied the allegations.
Responding to questions over the claims, Nayak said, “I have never met the so-called whistleblower, Shashikant Suthar. Ask him if he even recognises my face. I do not know why he is fabricating such a story.”
The Sikar District Collector has also denied that the district administration had prior information regarding any paper leak.
At the same time, SP Nayak confirmed that a few individuals had approached the Udyog Nagar Police Station carrying a large stack of papers connected to the alleged leak.
He said the duty officer asked them to formally lodge a First Information Report (FIR), but they left the station saying they would return later and never came back.
As the paper leak controversy expanded nationwide, speculation has intensified over what exactly transpired in Sikar during the four days between the examination and the formal complaint to the NTA.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is now probing the case and has widened its inquiry into possible insider involvement linked to the NTA.
Despite Sikar emerging as one of the earliest centres where the alleged leak surfaced, no punitive action has yet been initiated in the district.
Meanwhile, the NTA has announced that the cancelled NEET-UG 2026 examination will be reconducted on June 21 under tighter security protocols, with admit cards scheduled to be released on June 14.
– Ends
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