The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has uncovered a months-long scheme behind the NEET-UG 2026 exam leak, implicating National Testing Agency (NTA) subject experts and a vast network of coaching operators, brokers, and candidates. The investigation, led by the CBI, highlights how confidential examination questions circulated through various intermediaries before reaching eager aspirants willing to pay for early access.
The CBI’s chargesheet indicates that the breach involved much more than just one individual sharing questions directly with a candidate. Instead, it illustrates a sophisticated mechanism where information flowed from NTA-appointed experts to private operators, moving through several brokers until it eventually reached the candidates.
Among the accused are Shivraj Motegaonkar, associated with Renukai Career Centre; Tejas Harshadkumar Shah from Pune-based Dr Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy; and Dr Manoj Bhagwanrao Shirure, the owner of Siddhivinayak Hospital. The agency’s substantial evidence arises from a forensic examination of seized mobile phones, including devices owned by some of the accused.
One critical piece of evidence comes from Yash Yadav’s phone, where investigators reportedly found PDF files containing NEET-UG 2026 questions. Additionally, conversations on Telegram revealed exchanges with a contact listed as “AP Broker,” later identified as Shubham Madhukar Khairnar, a co-accused. This leads the CBI to assert that materials circulated among conspirators long before the examination date.
Another mobile device, confiscated from accused Manisha Sanjay Waghmare, allegedly harbored a WhatsApp group named “NEET 2026.” This group serves as another piece of evidence regarding the communication channels utilized by the involved network. The CBI claims it has gathered multiple digital conversations, photographs, and files from several devices, further substantiating the organizational structure of the conspiracy.
Witness statements, coupled with this electronic evidence, allow investigators to trace the movements of illicit examination materials throughout the network. Accused members like Waghmare, Dhananjay Lokhande, Shubham Madhukar Khairnar, and Yash Yadav acted as essential links in disseminating the leaked content.
According to the CBI, this layered distribution network enabled the concealment of the source of the questions, providing anonymity to those at the top while profiting from the hard work of desperate candidates. As the investigation progresses, the implications of this elaborate scheme raise serious questions regarding the integrity of the NTA and the sanctity of the examination process.
