Pune Chemistry Professor Kingpin Of NEET Paper Leak, Arrested: CBI

Claiming a major breakthrough in its investigation into the NEET exam paper leak, which has affected the future of nearly 23 lakh students, the CBI has said it has arrested the 'kingpin' of the conspiracy. 

The investigating agency said on Friday that it has taken PV Kulkarni, a chemistry professor from Pune, into custody, and described him as the source of the leak. Officials said Kulkarni, who is the agency's eighth arrest in the case, had access to the papers for the medical entrance exam as part of his involvement in the process on behalf of the National Testing Agency, and exploited this to leak questions to students.

The chemistry teacher, who is originally from Latur in Maharashtra, also taught privately, under the name 'Raj Coaching Classes', at his residence in Pune, and one such class was held in the last week of April, just before the NEET exam. During this session, he dictated questions, their options, and the correct answers, and the students jotted them down in their notebooks.

When the questions written in the students' notebooks were cross-referenced with the actual question paper of the exam held on May 3, many matched verbatim, said an official. This helped the CBI establish that the source of the paper leak was someone directly linked to the examination process.

Another person linked to Kulkarni, Manisha Waghmare, had already been arrested on Thursday, and the agency is now focused on identifying other individuals involved in the racket. 

Officials said Waghmare, who ran a beauty parlour, lured students with promises of leaked medical exam papers and college admissions. She would charge lakhs from each student and direct them to Kulkarni. 

Raids, Arrests

Another key facet that the CBI is trying to establish is the geographical extent of the paper leak network across states.

Over the past 24 hours, the CBI has also conducted raids at multiple locations across the country. Several crucial documents, electronic devices, and mobile phones have been seized and are now undergoing forensic and technical analysis, which will give more clues in the case. 

The CBI said it registered a case regarding the leak on Tuesday based on a complaint filed by the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, and immediately constituted special teams to initiate an investigation. 

Eight arrests have been made from Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, and Ahilyanagar. Five of the accused were produced before a court on Thursday and remanded in custody for seven days. 

(With inputs from Ajinkya Patil)