Pune woman, BAMS doctor arrested; role in identifying candidates willing to buy leaked NEET paper under lens

Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar had said on Wednesday that a Pune Police team had detained parlour owner Manisha Waghmare from Bibwewadi for questioning. Her responses were found to be suspicious and she was subsequently handed over to the CBI for further investigation.

Sources in Ahilyanagar Police said BAMS graduate Dhananjay Lokhande was picked up from Rahuri taluka of Ahmednagar district and questioned by a CBI team. His transit remand was subsequently sought from a court in Ahilyanagar.

A senior state police officer said, “The two suspects from Pune and Ahilyanagar are under the CBI’s scanner for their alleged role in identifying prospective candidates willing to purchase the leaked question paper and for their suspected role in the financial transactions linked to the racket. Their phone communications and financial transactions are being examined. It is also being probed how they came in contact with other suspects who have been arrested so far.”

“Several other suspects are under interrogation and further action is underway. The CBI is pursuing all leads in the case. The agency is committed to a comprehensive, impartial and professional investigation in this matter,” the CBI said in a press statement.

The CBI had registered a case on May 12 based on a complaint by the Department of Higher Education under the Union Ministry of Education regarding the NEET-UG examination. On Wednesday, five accused were arrested — three from Jaipur, one from Gurugram and one from Nashik. All five were produced before a competent court in Delhi and remanded to seven days of police custody for interrogation.