A poster outside the school, however, had Yadav's photograph, with “MBBS selection” written next to it.

An average student from a family of modest means and a village where no child is involved in criminal activity.

This is how Khem Chand, 32, sarpanch of Kheda Khurrampur village in Haryana’s Gurgaon district, describes Yash Yadav, a student arrested in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak that has led to the cancellation of the exam and sparked massive outrage.

“He was an average student. He had been attending coaching classes in Rajasthan for a couple of years now. He could not qualify for an MBBS seat and took admission in a BAMS (Ayurveda) course last year.…