The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) informed a Delhi court that the NEET-UG 2026 question paper leak may have originated from the National Testing Agency (NTA). A total of seven individuals have been arrested, including Shubham Khairnar from Nashik and others from Gurugram and Jaipur. The investigation revealed that Khairnar obtained the paper from a Pune-based source, who is believed to be connected to the NTA. The CBI is focusing on identifying the officials involved and has reported that 135 out of 180 questions may have been leaked prior to the exam, which was conducted on May 3 for over 22 lakh students. The NTA canceled the exam on May 12 after confirming the leak. The CBI argued that further custody of the accused is necessary to prevent similar offenses and to trace the critical link that allowed the paper to leave the NTA's possession. Defense lawyers contested the legality of the arrests, claiming the accused were not informed of the grounds for their detention.