NEET paper leak probe: Latur-based doctor, Pune teacher in CBI net; 13 arrests so far

📌 Summary:

• CBI arrested two more persons in the NEET-UG 2026 question-paper leak case — taking the total to 13 arrests

• Latest arrests: (1) Dr Manoj Shirure — Latur-based physician, accused of facilitating access to leaked chemistry questions for three students (including the son of an accused coaching-centre owner) (2) Tejas Harshadkumar Shah — physics faculty at Dr Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy (APMA), Pune; also COO of the institute

• A Delhi Special Judge (Vidya Prakash, acting Duty Metropolitan Magistrate) sent both to CBI custody till June 1, 2026

• Source chain of the leak (per CBI):

  • Chemistry questions: leaked by P V Kulkarni (retired chemistry teacher associated with NTA), passed to Dr Shirure → on to students
  • Physics questions: leaked by Manisha Havaldar (Physics teacher and principal of Seth Hiralal Saraf School) → to Tejas Shah → to students at APMA
  • Botany/Zoology questions: leaked by Manisha Mandhare; also involved in setting and translating the paper
  • Kulkarni also helped translate the paper into Marathi

• Special Judge sent Kulkarni and another accused Shivraj Raghunath to 14-day judicial custody till June 10

• Investigative scale: CBI has conducted searches at 49 locations across multiple cities; seized laptops, mobile phones, documents; forensic analysis underway to reconstruct the network and "establish the full chain of the conspiracy"

• Institutional implication: Pune-based APMA (Dr Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy) under CBI scanner; chairperson Sachin Haldavnekar denied institutional role and said Shah was taken "in individual capacity"

• Initial CBI plan was to make Dr Shirure a prosecution witness, but after legal opinion the agency decided to arrest him

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 — Government policies & welfare schemes (education, examination integrity, NTA reforms), Statutory bodies (CBI under DSPE Act, NTA's accountability); GS4 — Ethics in Administration (corruption in examination system, conflict of interest of NTA-linked teachers); GS3 — Internal security (Acts, organised crime).

📝 Prelims Facts:

• NEET-UG = National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Undergraduate medical/dental admissions; conducted by NTA
• NTA = National Testing Agency (autonomous body under Ministry of Education, set up 2017)
• Investigating agency in this case: CBI (under Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946)
• Total arrests so far: 13
• CBI has searched 49 locations
• Special Judge Vidya Prakash, Delhi (acting Duty Metropolitan Magistrate)
• Pune coaching institute under CBI scanner: Dr Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy (APMA), Shivajinagar

🔑 Key Term: Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 — central law that criminalises organised paper leaks and impersonation in public examinations conducted by Central agencies (UPSC, SSC, NTA, etc.); imposes minimum 3 years to 10 years imprisonment for organised conspiracies and up to Rs 1 crore fine on service providers.