The CBI on Thursday made its first arrests in connection with the alleged paper leak in the NEET-UG, picking up Manish Kumar and Ashutosh Kumar from Patna.

"The two arrested accused had allegedly arranged accommodation and transportation for (some) NEET-UG examinees on May 4, a day before the exam, in Patna," a CBI official said.

He said Manish is suspected to have ferried in his car around 25 students, who were taken to a vacant school building where they allegedly received the leaked papers and answer keys and memorised them. Ashutosh is believed to have put the students up at his home.

The agency is conducting raids to nab the prime accused, Sanjiv Mukhiya, who has reportedly fled to Nepal. The Nalanda native is a technical assistant with the horticulture department office in the district.

Bihar police had earlier arrested 13 people — including four examinees from Bihar and six others from Jharkhand — in connection with the alleged paper leak.

Two CBI teams had on Monday travelled to Bihar and Gujarat to probe the alleged paper leak. Sources said Godhra police in Gujarat had registered a case on May 8 under various Indian Penal Code sections, including criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal breach of trust, against unknown people.

They have been charged with an attempt to help 27 candidates clear the NEET-UG — a nationwide test held for undergraduate medical college admissions — against payments of ₹10 lakh to ₹15 lakh each.

“The CBI has taken the probe over from both Bihar and Gujarat police,” a CBI official said.

The Centre had initially dismissed the possibility of a paper leak but, after countrywide protests and litigation by students, announced that the investigation would be handed over to the CBI.

The NEET-UG was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) at 4,750 centres in 571 cities – including 14 foreign cities — with over 23 lakh students taking the exam.

Last week, under attack for paper leaks and other alleged irregularities in various exams conducted by the NTA, the Centre removed the exam agency’s head.

It also formed a seven-member panel, chaired by former Isro head K. Radhakrishnan, to recommend reforms in exam mechanisms and processes, improvements in data security protocols, and changes to the NTA’s structure and functions.