NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak: CBI Arrests Pune’s APMA Faculty, Latur Doctor; Total Arrests Reach 13
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 27th May 2026: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two more accused in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper leak case, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 13.
One of the arrested accused, Dr Manoj Shirure, a doctor based in Latur, allegedly played a key role in facilitating access to leaked Chemistry questions for three students, including the son of a coaching centre owner accused in the case. According to the CBI, the questions were obtained from the accused P V Kulkarni.
The second accused arrested is Tejas Harshadkumar Shah, a Physics faculty member at Dr Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy (APMA), a Pune-based coaching institute. Investigators alleged that Shah received leaked Physics questions for the NEET-UG 2026 examination from arrested accused Manisha Havaldar.
The CBI said the investigation is ongoing to uncover the larger conspiracy and identify the complete chain involved in the paper leak. So far, the agency has conducted searches at 49 locations across multiple cities and seized several incriminating documents, laptops, and mobile phones.
Detailed analysis of the seized electronic devices and documents is currently underway.
The case was registered by the CBI on May 12, 2026, following a written complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, regarding the alleged leak of NEET-UG 2026 examination papers.
Following the registration of the case, the CBI constituted special investigation teams and carried out searches at various locations across the country. Several suspects were detained and questioned during the course of the investigation.
So far, 13 accused have been arrested from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, Latur, and Ahilyanagar. The investigation has reportedly traced the source of the leaked Chemistry, Biology, and Physics question papers that were circulated ahead of the examination.
The CBI stated that it remains committed to conducting a comprehensive, impartial, and professional investigation into the case.
