Student Arrested for Selling Fake NEET-UG Retest Papers via Telegram

In a significant development concerning the integrity of India's National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG, a student was apprehended in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, for allegedly circulating and selling fraudulent question papers for the NEET-UG re-examination. The individual, identified as Akash Chaudhary (also referred to simply as Akash in some reports), a 19-year-old Air Force aspirant, was arrested by the Pratap Nagar police station for operating a Telegram channel dedicated to this illicit activity. The arrest occurred around June 19-20, 2026, just days before the scheduled NEET-UG re-examination on June 21, 2026. Authorities received intelligence inputs regarding the sale of these fake papers, prompting a raid at Chaudhary's residence. Upon examination of his mobile phone, police discovered he was allegedly the administrator of a Telegram channel called 'Paper Mafia'. Investigators revealed that the accused allegedly created these deceptive papers by scanning old question papers from textbooks and then using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate new question papers. These supposedly 'leaked' papers were then offered for sale through the Telegram channel, with prices reportedly ranging from ₹2,000 to ₹4,000 per paper. Police stated that approximately ₹18,000 had been credited to Chaudhary's account through these fraudulent transactions, and the Telegram group had around 52 to 54 members. To avoid detection and conceal his identity, Chaudhary reportedly utilized a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and a proxy network. This particular arrest highlighted the growing concerns surrounding the NEET-UG re-examination, which was necessitated after the initial exam on May 3, 2026, was canceled due to widespread allegations of a question paper leak and other irregularities. The cancellation of the original exam and the subsequent re-examination fueled significant anxiety among millions of medical aspirants and their parents across the country. Fraudsters like Chaudhary capitalized on this distress, offering false hope and engaging in schemes to defraud students. The broader context of the NEET scandal also saw significant government action. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a directive to temporarily block Telegram across India from June 16 to June 22, 2026. This temporary ban, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, was specifically aimed at preventing the further spread of unwanted data and misinformation related to the retest. However, as evidenced by Chaudhary's arrest, some individuals continued to bypass these restrictions using VPN services, leading to increased attention on VPN usage in India during this period. Other related incidents underscore the scale of the NEET irregularities. The Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch, for instance, arrested two men from Rajasthan around June 15, 2026, for allegedly operating fraudulent websites and Telegram channels that falsely promised access to the re-NEET question paper. These individuals, identified as Sumer Singh and Akash, operated multiple channels, luring students with misleading claims, though no actual leaked papers were recovered from them. Furthermore, during the NEET-UG re-examination itself on June 21, 2026, Bihar Police made a major crackdown in Lakhisarai, arresting 30 people, including nine impersonators and 18 staff members associated with biometric verification, for attempting irregularities. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also been actively involved in probing the larger NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case. The CBI registered a case on May 12, 2026, and has since made multiple arrests, with the total tally rising to 13 by late May 2026. The agency also filed a massive 20,000-page chargesheet in the case by late July 2026 against the arrested individuals, including for criminal conspiracy, cheating, and destruction of evidence. These investigations reveal a complex network of individuals involved in various forms of cheating and paper leaks, affecting competitive examinations across the country. The Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, had to resign on July 25, 2026, amidst widespread protests and political criticism over the handling of the scandal. The incident of Akash Chaudhary's arrest serves as a clear illustration of how fraudsters leveraged technology and the high-stakes environment of competitive exams to exploit vulnerable students. It also highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement and regulatory bodies in curbing such tech-savvy criminal activities. The continuous stream of arrests and investigations demonstrates the commitment of Indian authorities to restore faith in the examination system and ensure fairness for all aspirants.

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