New Delhi: The CBI has arrested a Latur-based doctor and a physics teacher from a Pune coaching institute in its widening probe into the NEET-UG paper leak, officials said on Wednesday, PTI reported.
The agency took into custody Manoj Shirure, whom it says played a “key role” in arranging chemistry questions for three students — including the son of Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, who runs Renukai Chemistry Classes (RCC) in Latur — after the paper setter, P V Kulkarni, was allegedly implicated. The CBI had earlier arrested Motegaonkar in the case.
Coaching Centre Link
Also arrested was Tejas Harshadkumar Shah, a physics instructor at Dr Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy (APMA) in Pune. Officials said Shah allegedly received leaked physics questions for NEET-UG from accused Manisha Havaldar, who has already been detained.
With these two arrests, 13 people have now been detained, and searches are continuing across several states.
Investigators Probe Chain
“The investigation to unearth the chain as well as the conspiracy in this case is ongoing. The CBI has so far conducted searches at 49 locations and seized several incriminating documents, laptops, and mobile phones,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.
On May 12, the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET, which had been held on May 3, after allegations of a paper leak emerged. A re-examination has been scheduled for June 21.
The CBI registered the case on the same day based on a written complaint by the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education and formed special teams to probe the matter. The agency said it conducted searches nationwide and made prompt arrests as part of its efforts.
“So far, 13 accused have been arrested in this case from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, Latur and Ahliyanagar,” the spokesperson said.
The probe has reportedly identified the original source of the leaked question papers. “The middlemen, involved in mobilising the students who paid lakhs of rupees to attend special coaching classes where the questions which would come in the NEET UG 2026 were shared, have also been identified and arrested,” the CBI had said earlier.
Nationwide Exam
The NEET was conducted on May 3 across 551 Indian cities and at 14 overseas centres, with nearly 23 lakh candidates registered, the NTA said. According to the agency, information about alleged malpractices was first received on the evening of May 7, four days after the exam.
“The NTA said the inputs were shared with the central agencies the next morning for ‘independent verification and necessary action’,” the agency added.
