The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is now scrutinising the assets of the three accused individuals arrested in connection with the NEET paper leak case, according to officials, as the agency deepens its probe into what it suspects is a long-running examination racket. Investigators believe the accused may have acquired multiple properties using proceeds from the paper leak syndicate.

Links to the 2024 NEET Leak Examined

The CBI suspects that the accused currently in custody were also involved in the NEET-UG paper leak controversy that surfaced in 2024. The agency is actively examining connections between the two incidents to determine whether the same syndicate has been operating the racket over an extended period. Officials said the investigation is now focused on financial transactions, asset trails, and the broader network of associates.

Pune Professors Under the Scanner

Several professors from Pune may come under the ambit of the investigation, according to official sources. On Monday, the CBI conducted fresh raids at premises linked to Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a Botany teacher from Pune, and Manisha Havaldar, a Pune-based physics lecturer. The agency expects that seized documents from these search operations will yield crucial leads in tracing the full extent of the network.

Supreme Court Issues Notices, Pulls Up Authorities

On the same day, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Centre, the National Testing Agency (NTA), and other authorities on petitions seeking structural reforms in the conduct of the NEET-UG examination — including an immediate shift to a computer-based testing (CBT) mode. A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe directed that copies of the petitions be served on Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and listed the matter for further hearing on Friday, 29 May.

The bench made pointed oral remarks during the hearing. 'It's sad that they have not learnt their lesson,' Justice Narasimha observed, noting that despite the 2024 controversy, a high-powered committee headed by former ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan had already submitted recommendations — and a monitoring mechanism had been put in place — yet integrity concerns had resurfaced.

NTA, Radhakrishnan Panel Asked to File Affidavits

The court directed the NTA to file an affidavit clarifying the current status of compliance with the recommendations of the monitoring committee constituted on 14 November 2024. It also asked Prof. K. Radhakrishnan to submit a separate affidavit detailing steps taken to implement the panel's recommendations and comply with earlier court directions. The petitions before the court were filed by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and the United Doctors Front, among others, seeking accountability and systemic reform in NEET-UG's conduct.

This is the second consecutive year that India's largest medical entrance examination has been embroiled in allegations of paper leaks, raising urgent questions about the NTA's institutional credibility and the integrity of the examination system at large.