Home / Education / NEET Probe: Academy Defends Faculty Amidst Leak Allegations
NEET Probe: Academy Defends Faculty Amidst Leak Allegations
28 May
Summary
- APMA defended its COO Tejas Shah, arrested in NEET paper leak.
- Academy claims Shah's talks with an accused were personal.
- CBI expands probe into coaching centers in Pune and Latur.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has intensified its investigation into the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, focusing on coaching institutes in Pune and Latur, Maharashtra. Pune's Dr Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy (APMA) has publicly supported its faculty member, Tejas Shah, the Chief Operating Officer and physics faculty, who was arrested on Wednesday. APMA claims Shah's conversations with an earlier arrested accused, Manisha Havaldar, were solely for personal academic clarification regarding NEET and JEE syllabus details.
Despite APMA's defense, investigators suspect Shah received leaked physics questions from Havaldar, who allegedly has links to the National Testing Agency (NTA). APMA chairperson Prof Sachin Haldavnekar stated that the discussions were about syllabus ambiguities, not exam questions, and that any coincidental match in questions did not indicate a leak. He also questioned the alleged consultancy fee of ₹20,000 paid to Havaldar.
The CBI has collected digital data from Shah's office and mock test papers from APMA. The probe has extended to Latur, where Dr Manoj Shirure, a pediatrician, was arrested for allegedly providing premises for special coaching sessions linked to the suspected leaked paper. Investigators are examining financial transactions and digital evidence across both cities.
