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New developments in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak investigation suggest involvement of parents and a wider network. CBI's recent raids in Nanded and Latur uncovered links associated with paper leak racket, where parents paid lakhs of rupees to access leaked exam papers.
CBI's probe into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak has revealed new striking developments including involvement of aspirants' parents. (representative image)(PTI)The Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) continues to probe into the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case with new striking developments coming to light, including involvement of aspirants' parents and National Testing Agency's (NTA) official. With several parents coming under CBI's radar, the scope of investigation has expanded beyond paper setters, experts and middlemen.
On Saturday and Sunday, eight officers of the probe agency raided three to four different premises including a house in the Vidyut Nagar area in Nanded and in Latur. The CBI reportedly received a tip off that the family had allegedly procured leaked NEET papers for their daughters. The family allegedly paid anywhere between ₹5 and ₹10 lakh to alleged middlemen to obtain the questions before the examination, Hindustan Times reported citing officials suspicion.
All eyes are on NEET aspirants' parents
According to investigators, the paper leak racket operated with the help of an extended network, much beyond the core officials responsible for setting of papers and intermediaries involved. All eyes are now on financially well-off parents who allegedly paid large sums to secure medical admissions for their children.
On Friday, the CBI team launched the search operation in Nanded. Officials informed the publication that the parents of a girl who appeared for the NEET-UG on 3 May were interrogated for more than eight hours. The search operation was not limited to interrogation as electronic devices such as mobile phones were scanned for evidence. The officials inspected documents and communication records, including phone calls and messages exchanged by family members.
As per officials familiar with the matter, the girl’s father is a businessman who paid around ₹10 lakh — ₹5 lakh to a middleman and ₹5 lakh to a separate individual to get access to leaked papers. The officials are trying to establish the girl’s links with a Pune coaching institute, where she reportedly spent around 15 days while preparing for NEET exam.
Private coaching institutes with suspicious advertisements under scanner
Even flex banners of private coaching institutes in Nanded have come under suspicion over claims related to the student’s expected performance in the examination. AIB coaching displayed banners with the tagline “The Results To Come” along with photographs of its top-performing students.
In an interview with the news outlet, AIB’s Atul More confessed that the girl was a student at the coaching institute. Asserting that the student had not been associated with the institute for the past 15 days, Atul More said, “Yes, she was my student and was repeating NEET this year. In our mock tests, she used to score around 400 to 450 marks."
Following searches in Nanded at residences of another parents, the CBI team moved towards Latur. Officials suspect that parents circulated leaked papers to others to recover part of the money paid. Probe points to operation of a well-organised network spread across Pune, Latur, Nanded and nearby districts. Officials privy with the matter said some parents allegedly paid amounts ranging between ₹10 lakh and ₹25 lakh to gain access to leaked question papers.
A total of nine accused have been arrested in the case from several locations across India, including Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune and Ahilyanagar. The CBI is now tracing the money trail and identifying beneficiaries who may have knowingly availed leaked examination material.
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