Summary of this article
The CBI has expanded the NEET UG 2026 paper leak probe to include parents accused of buying leaked question papers for their children.
Raids were conducted in Maharashtra’s Nanded and Latur districts, with investigators probing payments allegedly made through middlemen.
The agency is now tracing the money trail and examining links between coaching institutes, students and the alleged leak network.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has widened its probe into the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak case, with investigators now examining the role of parents accused of purchasing leaked question papers for their children.
According to officials, multiple searches were carried out over the weekend in Maharashtra’s Nanded and Latur districts after the agency received inputs that some families had allegedly paid middlemen to obtain leaked NEET papers before the medical entrance examination.
The latest development expands the investigation beyond paper setters, experts and intermediaries, with the agency now focusing on beneficiaries who may have knowingly used leaked examination material.
CBI Conducts Searches in Nanded, Latur
A CBI team comprising eight officers conducted raids at multiple premises, including a house in Nanded’s Vidyut Nagar area. Officials suspect that parents paid between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh to middlemen for access to leaked question papers. In one case under investigation, a businessman from Nanded allegedly paid around Rs 10 lakh through intermediaries to secure the paper for his daughter.
Investigators questioned the girl’s parents for several hours and examined electronic devices, communication records and financial documents as part of the probe.
The agency is also examining the student’s alleged links with a coaching institute in Pune, where she reportedly stayed for around two weeks during NEET preparation.
Coaching Institutes Under Scanner
Officials said investigators are also scrutinising claims related to students’ expected examination performance and promotional material displayed by coaching institutes.
One private coaching institute in Nanded had reportedly put up flex banners featuring photographs of top-performing students even before official results were announced, raising suspicion among investigators.
The agency suspects the alleged paper leak network operated through an organised chain spread across Pune, Latur, Nanded and nearby districts.
Money Trail and Beneficiaries Being Traced
CBI officials believe some parents may have circulated leaked papers further in an attempt to recover part of the money allegedly paid to middlemen. Investigators suspect that some families paid amounts ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for access to leaked examination material.
The agency has already arrested several accused in connection with the case, including alleged masterminds, paper solvers and intermediaries. Officials said the investigation is now focused on tracing the money trail and identifying all beneficiaries linked to the racket.
Further raids are expected in the coming days as the probe expands to other districts.
