In the NEET paper leak case, the CBI has arrested another alleged mastermind accused of leaking Physics questions ahead of the examination.
The accused, identified as Manisha Sanjay Havaldar, was arrested from Pune. According to sources, she was working at Seth Hiralal Saraf Prashala in Pune and had been appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as an expert associated with the conduct of the examination.
Investigators said Havaldar had access to the Physics question paper and allegedly leaked several questions before the exam. The CBI suspects she worked in coordination with previously arrested accused Manisha Mathare to leak the questions.
During the investigation, the leaked questions were reportedly matched and verified with the actual NEET examination paper, with officials finding that the same questions had appeared in the exam.
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With Havaldar’s arrest, the total number of accused held in the case has risen to 11. Arrests in connection with the case have so far been made from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, Latur and Ahilyanagar.
The probe into the NEET paper leak case is currently underway, with central agencies continuing to investigate the wider network involved in the alleged leak.
CBI Turns Doctor Into Witness
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has turned paediatrician Dr Manoj Shirure from Maharashtra’s Latur into a government witness in the case.
According to sources, Shirure was summoned to the CBI office in Pune, where he was questioned for several hours till late Thursday night.
Investigators suspect that Shirure had allegedly bought the leaked NEET question paper for his son from another accused, Motegaonkar, who is already under the scanner in the ongoing probe.
The CBI has also reportedly found connections between Shirure and Professor PV Kulkarni, who was linked to an NTA examination centre.
NEET Paper Circulated Across 5 States
The investigation so far has revealed that the leaked NEET paper was allegedly circulated across five states, with Maharashtra and Rajasthan emerging as major hubs in the distribution network. Officials have indicated that the probe may widen further as more arrests are likely in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the NEET-UG paper leak issue was also raised during a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports in New Delhi on Thursday.
Also Read: NEET Paper Leak Case: CBI Turns Maharashtra Doctor Into Government Witness
Several Members of Parliament questioned senior National Testing Agency (NTA) officials regarding the controversy and the safeguards being implemented to prevent such incidents in future examinations.
Sources said NTA Director General Abhishek Singh informed the panel that the NEET-UG paper was not leaked through the agency’s system and that the matter remains under investigation by the CBI.
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