The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has expanded its probe into the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, with investigators now questioning parents accused of purchasing leaked question papers for their children in exchange for huge sums of money.
According to officials, multiple raids were conducted in Maharashtra’s Nanded and Latur districts over the weekend as the agency intensified its investigation into the growing medical entrance exam scandal. Investigators suspect that several financially well-off families allegedly paid middlemen and intermediaries to obtain leaked NEET papers before the May 3 examination.
A CBI team comprising eight officers reportedly searched several locations, including a residence in Nanded’s Vidyut Nagar area, after receiving information that leaked papers had been procured for a student who appeared in NEET-UG 2026. Officials alleged that the student’s father, a businessman, paid nearly ₹10 lakh through different intermediaries to access the question papers.
The parents were reportedly questioned for more than eight hours as investigators examined mobile phones, electronic gadgets, communication records and financial documents. Officials are also probing the student’s reported links to a Pune-based coaching institute where she had allegedly stayed for around two weeks before the examination.
Investigators believe the paper leak network was not limited to paper setters and middlemen alone, but may have involved parents who knowingly paid large amounts to secure medical admissions for their children. Officials suspect that some families may have further circulated leaked papers to others to recover part of the money spent.
The CBI is now tracing the money trail and examining transactions ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹25 lakh allegedly paid for access to leaked question papers. Investigators believe the racket may have operated through an organised network spread across Pune, Nanded, Latur and nearby districts.
A coaching institute in Nanded also came under scrutiny after flex banners displaying photographs of top-performing students appeared before the exam results were officially declared. Investigators are verifying whether any suspicious claims regarding expected scores were linked to the larger paper leak operation.
Several accused, including alleged masterminds, paper solvers and intermediaries, have already been arrested in connection with the case. Officials said more raids and questioning are expected in the coming days as the agency investigates whether similar leak operations took place in other parts of the country.
The NEET-UG 2026 controversy has once again triggered serious concerns over examination security, transparency and fairness in one of India’s most competitive medical entrance tests. The case has sparked outrage among students and parents nationwide, with growing demands for stricter safeguards to prevent future paper leaks.
