27 May,2026 08:08 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
NSUI members stage a protest against the alleged NEET paper leak, in Ranchi, on Tuesday. PIC/PTI
A Delhi court on Wednesday sent alleged National Eligibility Entrance Test (Undergraduate) paper leak case kingpin Prahlad Vithalrao Kulkarni and another accused, Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, to 14-day judicial custody till June 10, while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continued its crackdown by arresting a Latur-based doctor and a Pune physics teacher in connection with the case.
Special Judge Vidya Prakash, acting as duty metropolitan magistrate, remanded Kulkarni and Motegaonkar to judicial custody after they were produced before the court on completion of their police custody.
CBI has so far arrested 13 persons in connection with the alleged paper leak case.
According to the agency, Kulkarni, a chemistry lecturer from Pune, was involved in the NEET process on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and had access to the question papers.
CBI alleged that during the last week of April, Kulkarni mobilised students with the help of co-accused Manisha Waghmare and conducted special coaching classes for them at his residence in Pune.
On Wednesday, the agency also arrested Manoj Shirure, a doctor based in Maharashtra's Latur, and Tejas Harshadkumar Shah, a physics faculty member at a Pune-based coaching institute.
Officials said Shirure allegedly played a "key role" in facilitating three students, including the son of Motegaonkar, who runs Renukai Chemistry Classes (RCC) in Latur, in obtaining chemistry questions from Kulkarni.
Shah, who teaches at Dr Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy (APMA) in Pune, allegedly received leaked physics questions from arrested accused Manisha Havaldar, officials said.
The CBI had earlier secured police custody of Shirure and Shah till June 1.
On May 16, the agency arrested biology lecturer Manisha Mandhare, who was part of the NTA paper-setting committee. Manisha Sanjay Havaldar was the 11th person arrested in the case.
The other accused arrested in the case include Shubham Khairnar from Nashik; Mangilal Khatik, Vikas and Dinesh Biwal from Jaipur; Yash Yadav from Gurugram; and Dhananjay Lokhande from Ahilyanagar in Maharashtra.
"The investigation to unearth the chain as well as the conspiracy in this case is ongoing. The CBI has so far conducted searches at 49 locations and seized several incriminating documents, laptops, and mobile phones," a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.
On May 12, the NTA cancelled NEET (UG) held on May 3 for medical admissions following allegations of a paper leak. A re-examination has been scheduled for June 21.
(With PTI inputs)
