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New Delhi: A CBI investigation into the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak has shifted its focus from paper solvers and middlemen to parents accused of purchasing advance exam papers — some reportedly paying between ₹10 lakh and ₹25 lakh to secure seats for their children.

CBI teams carried out multiple raids over the weekend in Maharashtra’s Nanded and Latur districts after receiving information that several families had allegedly purchased leaked question papers ahead of the May 3 examination. Investigators conducted searches at homes and coaching centres and questioned suspects as they pieced together a network that may spread across Pune, Latur, Nanded and nearby areas, as reported by Moneycontrol.com.

A team of eight CBI officers searched several locations, including a residence in Vidyut Nagar, Nanded. Officials said investigators questioned the parents of a NEET aspirant for more than eight hours, seizing electronic devices, documents, phone records and family messages.

Investigators suspect that wealthy parents were also part of the wider network and may have paid intermediaries to secure medical admissions for their children through leaked examination material.

Allegations Of Large Payments

In one Nanded case, officials allege a businessman father paid nearly ₹10 lakh to obtain the leaked paper, with roughly ₹5 lakh reportedly given to a middleman and a further ₹5 lakh to another individual. Elsewhere, investigators said some parents may have paid between ₹10 lakh and ₹25 lakh to access leaked question papers. The CBI is following financial trails to identify transactions and beneficiaries.

Coaching Links Under Probe

The CBI is also checking the link between the Nanded student and a coaching centre in Pune where she stayed for about 15 days while preparing for the exam. Officers looked at flex banners put up by a private coaching institute, AIB, in Nanded that show top students with the slogan “The Results To Come.” Officials are now going through the reports or statements about the student’s expected marks to see if those claims match what actually happened and whether they fit into the suspected cheating case.

“Yes, she was my student and was repeating NEET this year. In our mock tests, she used to score around 400 to 450 marks,” AIB’s Atul More said. “He further added that the student had not been associated with the institute for the past 15 days.”

Wider operation and next steps

Officials said some parents who allegedly obtained papers may have distributed them in a bit to recover a portion of the payments, suggesting a well-organised operation across multiple districts.

The CBI has already arrested several accused — alleged masterminds, intermediaries and paper solvers — and has indicated that more raids are likely as investigators follow the money trail and check whether any other candidates also gained an unfair advantage from the leaked paper.