CBI scrutinises assets of arrested accused in NEET paper leak case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has widened its probe into the NEET paper leak case, scrutinising the assets and financial transactions of key accused amid suspicions that proceeds from the alleged examination racket were used to acquire multiple properties.

Officials said the agency believes the accused individuals arrested in the current case may also be linked to the alleged NEET-UG 2024 paper leak controversy, prompting investigators to examine whether the same syndicate has been operating the network over several years.

According to sources, the CBI is now tracing financial trails, property acquisitions and possible links between accused persons across multiple states.

The agency suspects that money generated through the paper leak racket may have been invested in real estate and other assets.

Several professors and educators from Pune have also come under the scanner as investigators attempt to identify the wider network allegedly involved in leaking examination papers.

Officials said some teachers may soon be questioned as the agency examines their possible role in the case.

On Monday, the CBI carried out fresh raids at premises linked to Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a Botany teacher from Pune, and Manisha Havaldar, a Pune-based physics lecturer.

Investigators believe documents and digital evidence seized during the searches could provide crucial leads into the operation of the alleged racket.

The latest developments came even as the Supreme Court expressed concern over recurring controversies surrounding the NEET examination despite earlier reform measures.

Hearing petitions seeking structural reforms in the NEET-UG examination process, a Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe issued notices to the Centre, the National Testing Agency (NTA) and other authorities.

The petitions seek major changes in the examination process, including an immediate shift to computer-based testing (CBT) following the alleged 2026 paper leak controversy.

During the hearing, the apex court remarked that authorities appeared to have failed to learn from the 2024 NEET controversy.

“It’s sad that they have not learnt their lesson,” the Justice Narasimha-led Bench orally observed.

The Supreme Court noted that after the 2024 controversy, a high-powered committee headed by former ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan had already submitted recommendations, many of which were accepted and backed by a monitoring mechanism.

The court directed the NTA to file an affidavit detailing the implementation status of those recommendations and the functioning of the monitoring committee constituted in November 2024.

It also asked Prof. Radhakrishnan to submit a separate affidavit outlining steps taken to ensure compliance with the panel’s recommendations and previous directions issued by the apex court.

The petitions before the court, including those filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and the United Doctors Front, seek accountability and systemic reforms to safeguard the integrity of the country’s largest medical entrance examination.

With IANS inputs