PUNE, May 18 -- The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) investigation into the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak has widened beyond paper setters, experts and middlemen, with several parents who allegedly purchased leaked question papers now coming under the agency's scanner, officials aware of the matter said. A CBI team comprising eight officers conducted searches on Saturday and Sunday at three to four different premises including a house in the Vidyut Nagar area of Nanded after receiving inputs that the family had allegedly procured leaked NEET papers for their daughters. Officials suspect the parents paid between Rs.5 lakh and Rs.10 lakh to obtain the leaked papers before the examination. Investigators believe the racket extended beyond the core network of paper setters and intermediaries and involved financially well-off parents who allegedly paid large sums to secure medical admissions for their children. According to officials, the CBI team arrived in Nanded on Friday and launched the search operation early Saturday. The officials questioned the parents of a girl who appeared for the NEET-UG held on May 3. The parents were interrogated for more than eight hours, officials added. CBI officials also examined electronic devices, documents and communication records, including phone calls and messages exchanged by family members. Officials claimed the girl's father, who reportedly runs a hotel and is also involved in the construction business in Nanded, allegedly paid around Rs.10 lakh - Rs.5 lakh to a middleman and another Rs.5 lakh to a separate individual - to obtain leaked examination papers. Investigators are probing the girl's links with a coaching institute in Pune, where she had reportedly stayed for around 15 days for NEET preparation. A private coaching institute, AIB, had displayed flex banners featuring photographs of its top-performing students in Nanded under the tagline "The Results To Come". After matching answers with the institute's answer key, the girl is reportedly expected to score a perfect 180 out of 180 marks. AIB's Atul More told HT that he had no information regarding the CBI action. "Yes, she was my student and was repeating NEET this year. In our mock tests, she used to score around 400 to 450 marks," More said. He further said the student had not been associated with the institute for the past 15 days. Officials said searches were also carried out at residences of another parents in Nanded on Sunday morning, after which another CBI team moved towards Latur. A total of three to four families were questioned during the two-day operation, they added. Investigators also suspect some parents may have circulated leaked papers to others in an attempt to recover part of the money they had paid. They suspect the alleged racket was being operated through a well-organised network spread across Pune, Latur, Nanded and nearby districts. Officials said some parents allegedly paid amounts ranging between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.25 lakh to gain access to leaked question papers. CBI has already arrested several accused in connection with the case, including alleged masterminds, paper solvers and intermediaries. Investigators are now focusing on tracing the money trail and identifying beneficiaries who may have knowingly availed leaked examination material. Senior officials said further raids are likely in the coming days as the investigation progresses. The agency is also verifying whether similar transactions took place in other districts and whether additional candidates benefited from leaked papers. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Sunday demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the NEET students, while posing three questions to the government, even as he stuck to his demand for education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's removal. Pointing out that NEET papers were leaked in 2024 and this year, Gandhi tweeted, "Why are paper leaks occurring repeatedly? Why do you remain silent time and again on this 'Pariksha Pe Charcha'? Why are you not dismissing the Education Minister, who is failing time and again?" A few hours later, Gandhi raised the issue of class 12 CBSE students getting low marks. "First the NEET paper leak affecting 22 lakh students. Then CBSE Class 12 students receiving unexpectedly low marks from a broken OSM system - many losing their college eligibility. Now lakhs of CBSE Class 9 students suddenly asked to learn a new language from July 1, with no teachers, no textbooks, and Class 6 books being handed to 14-year-olds as a "transitional" fix. Three exams. Three age groups. One Minister," he said on X....