Mumbai: The CBI probe into the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak has widened, with the agency now focusing on the Latur connection in Maharashtra and questioning people suspected to be part of a larger network.
According to sources cited by TV9 Hindi, several well-known doctors from Latur are now under the CBI’s scanner. The agency suspects that the leaked paper may have been bought for large sums of money. After looking into leads from Nanded, investigators have reportedly shifted their attention to Latur, Pune, Sambhajinagar and other suspected links.
The case gathered pace after a coaching institute in Latur allegedly included 42 questions in a mock test that matched the actual NEET UG paper held two days later. The similarity raised suspicion among parents, who complained to the local police. Considering the seriousness of the matter and its inter-state spread, the case was later handed over to the CBI.
The agency is also probing whether the paper was leaked during the translation process. Sources said a retired professor linked to a college and allegedly involved in the Marathi translation panel has been questioned. Since NEET is conducted in 13 languages, the translation stage is expected to follow strict confidentiality.
In Pune, the CBI recently arrested Manisha Waghmare, who runs a beauty parlour in the Sukhsagar Nagar area. She is accused of acting as a middlewoman, with investigators finding that money had allegedly been transferred to her from nearly two dozen bank accounts before the exam.
The CBI is now examining the role of agents, alleged buyers and intermediaries across Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gurgaon as the paper leak trail grows wider.