Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday, 12 May raised sharp questions over the handling of the alleged NEET paper leak case by the Rajasthan government and its Special Operations Group (SOG), following the cancellation of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Gehlot alleged that the SOG failed to register even a single First Information Report (FIR) despite complaints and arrests linked to the alleged leak, raising serious questions about transparency and accountability.

SOG's Failure to Register FIR

At the heart of Gehlot's criticism was the SOG's decision not to formally register a case. "The Special Operations Group failed to register even a single First Information Report. People are questioning why a formal case was not registered and why a report was not submitted," he said. He pressed further: "How can an investigation proceed without formally registering a case?" Gehlot alleged that the SOG "did not allow the matter to come fully into the public domain" and demanded clarity on who instructed the agency to withhold the FIR.

Prior Intelligence and Arrests

Gehlot claimed the Rajasthan government had prior intelligence inputs about the alleged leak well before the examination was cancelled. "The state government had received prior intelligence regarding this matter, following which the Special Operations Group had commenced making arrests. It is alleged that the examination paper was printed here in the state," he said. Despite these early signals, he argued, the state failed to escalate the matter to the Centre in a timely manner. "Had the state government informed the Central government and taken a joint decision, the entire process could have been handled in a more effective manner," Gehlot added.

Students' Complaints Went Unheeded

According to Gehlot, students began raising complaints about the alleged paper leak immediately after the NEET examination conducted on 3 May. "Students began lodging complaints regarding the alleged paper leak from the very next day, but their grievances were not acted upon immediately," he said. Students subsequently wrote to the NTA, which informed the Director General of Police. The matter was then handed over to the SOG, leading to the arrest of several individuals — though without any formal FIR being filed, according to Gehlot's account.

Centre and Coaching Institutes in the Crosshairs

Gehlot also turned his criticism toward the Centre, targeting Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the PM Narendra Modi-led government over what he described as a pattern of repeated examination paper leaks. "The PM Modi-led government should also focus on preventing paper leak incidents. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should pay attention to why papers are repeatedly getting leaked," he said. On the alleged role of coaching institutes, Gehlot noted that their names frequently surface in such cases, but added that "the complete facts will emerge only after the investigation is concluded."

NTA Cancellation and the Road Ahead

Gehlot said the NTA's decision to cancel the examination underscored the gravity of the situation. "The National Testing Agency has now cancelled the examination, and this should prompt all concerned authorities to review the matter seriously," he said. The cancellation of one of India's most high-stakes medical entrance examinations — taken by lakhs of aspirants annually — has put both the state machinery and the central regulatory body under intense scrutiny. With arrests made but no FIR filed, the investigation's legal standing remains a key question going forward.