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NEET-UG leak case: CBI grills key accused together in Pune office
The probe agency also called some students to get information about their alleged association with arrested accused.
Pune: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday questioned key accused in the alleged NEET-UG paper leak case together at its Pune office as part of efforts to uncover the wider network involved in the racket, sources said.
According to a CBI source, a team from Delhi brought accused Dhananjay Lokhande to Pune, where he had earlier been taken into custody. He was questioned alongside Manisha Waghmare, a beautician, and Manisha Mandhare, a suspended biology professor. The trio was last week arrested by the agency for their alleged role in the paper leak case.
The probe agency also called some students to get information about their alleged association with arrested accused.
Sources said investigators are trying to establish the exact chain through which leaked examination papers allegedly reached students and parents. The probe is focusing on how question papers were circulated and the financial transactions involved in the racket.
CBI officials suspect the accused played different roles in identifying students, contacting parents and facilitating the alleged leak operation. Investigators are also examining whether candidates received the leaked paper directly or were made to memorise answers orally before the examination.
According to sources, digital evidence recovered from mobile phones and electronic devices is being analysed by forensic and cyber experts. Officials believe some data may have been deleted, but investigators are attempting to retrieve it through technical analysis. Bank account transactions and money trails linked to the accused are also being scrutinised.
CBI sources said more parents are likely to be called for questioning as investigators have obtained documents and financial records allegedly linked to payments made in the case. Officials are probing how much money exchanged hands and who benefitted from the alleged operation.
The questioning in Pune comes amid an expanding investigation into the NEET-UG paper leak case, which has triggered nationwide outrage over alleged manipulation in one of the country’s most competitive medical entrance examinations. The CBI had earlier taken over the probe following allegations of organised cheating, paper leaks and irregularities across multiple states.
