The CBI has detailed the sequence of arrests in the NEET-UG paper leak case in its chargesheet filed recently before a Delhi court, outlining how investigators dismantled the alleged network that leaked the medical entrance exam paper.
According to the chargesheet, the agency launched its crackdown on May 13 with the arrests of Mangilal, Dinesh and Vikas Biwal in Rajasthan.
Investigators allegedly recovered leaked NEET question paper PDFs from their mobile phones, which had been received via Telegram on April 29.
The same day, the CBI arrested Yash Yadav in Gurugram, Shubham Khairnar in Nashik and Dhananjay Lokhande in Pune. Khairnar, who allegedly operated under the WhatsApp alias "Ap Broker", is accused of coordinating the distribution of leaked chemistry questions. Lokhande allegedly tried to destroy his mobile phone before being apprehended.
The agency arrested Manisha Sanjay Waghmare in Pune on May 14. Based on subsequent interrogation, it arrested the alleged mastermind, P V Kulkarni, in Latur on May 15, followed by Manisha Mandhare in Pune on May 16.
Shivraj Motegaonkar, founder of a coaching centre in Latur, was arrested on May 17. The final arrests came on May 22 and May 26, when Manisha Sanjay Havaldar was picked up in Latur, while Tejas Shah and Dr Manoj Shirure were arrested in Pune and Latur, respectively.
The chargesheet states that the alleged conspiracy was uncovered through forensic imaging of seized mobile devices, which helped investigators recover deleted WhatsApp chats and PDF files containing the leaked question paper.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to undergraduate medical courses, was held on May 3 before being cancelled on May 12 over allegations of a paper leak. A re-examination was conducted on June 21.
Former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan later resigned amid mounting protests over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.
(With inputs from PTI)