NEET-UG 2026 paper leak: CBI arrests Latur-based doctor, Pune physics teacher; 13 held so far

Doctor based in Maharashtra's Latur and a physics teacher in a Pune-based coaching centre are the latest ones to be arrested in the case.

New Delhi: A doctor based in Maharashtra's Latur and a physics teacher in a Pune-based coaching centre have been arrested in connection with leaking NEET-UG 2026 exam paper, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Wednesday.

With this, the agency has arrested 13 persons from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, Latur and Ahilyanagar after it took over the case on May 12 from the Rajasthan police's Special Operations Group, which was initially tipped-off about the paper leak.

One of the arrested is identified as Manoj Shirure, a Latur-based doctor who allegedly played a key role in facilitating three students, including the son of an accused coaching centre owner, in getting the chemistry questions from the alleged kingpin P V Kulkarni, a chemistry lecturer.

The other person who was arrested was Tejas Harshadkumar Shah, a physics faculty at Dr Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy (APMA), a Pune-based coaching centre. He allegedly got the leaked physics questions of NEET-UG 2026 exam from Manisha Havaldar, who was arrested earlier.

Earlier, the CBI had arrested Kulkarni, who was allegedly involved in setting the chemistry paper, and Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, who allegedly had access to zoology and botany papers. The teachers who were arrested in connection with the case are based in Pune.

"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 documents, laptops, and mobile phones. Detailed analysis of the seized items is going on," the CBI said in a statement.

It said the probe is continuing with various special teams working in tandem and it has brought out the actual source of the leakage of chemistry, biology and physics questions which were circulated before the exam on May 3.