3 min readPuneUpdated: May 27, 2026 02:02 PM IST
A Pune-based coaching institute has come under the scanner in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak investigation after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested two more people, including a Physics faculty member associated with the academy, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 13.
In a statement issued Wednesday, CBI said it had arrested Tejas Harshadkumar Shah, a Physics faculty member at Dr Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy (APMA) in Shivajinagar, and Dr Manoj Shirure, a doctor based in Latur.
According to the agency, Shah allegedly “got the leaked Physics questions of NEET UG 2026 Exam from the arrested accused Manisha Havaldar”, while Shirure reportedly “played a key role in facilitating three students, including the son of an accused coaching centre owner, in getting the Chemistry questions from the accused P V Kulkarni”.
When The Indian Express visited APMA in Shivajinagar, it found that Shah also served as the academy’s chief operating officer.
Sachin Haldavnekar, chairperson of the academy, said Shah had been associated with the institute for the last four years and had earlier worked in Mumbai before moving to Pune.
Responding to questions about Shah’s role at the institute, Haldavnekar said, “He was managing the staff. We gave him that position, but it was basic administration of the office staff. The institute has no role in the paper leak. Our institute has been known for its fair practices for the last four years. He has been taken in an individual capacity.”
Asked about Shah’s alleged connection with Manisha Havaldar — the Physics teacher and principal of Seth Hiralal Saraf School, who was earlier arrested by CBI in the same case — Haldavnekar said he was unaware of any close association between them.
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Haldavnekar denied that Shah had prior information that Havaldar was an expert associated with the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET.
“I don’t think there was any relation. I think there was only one meeting. As she is a senior faculty member, he wanted to clarify certain doubts. There are certain chapters on which JEE-Mains asks questions. Since the paper setter body is NTA and it conducts NEET also, he wanted clarification on whether those topics, since they are not in the NEET syllabus, will be asked,” he said.
Giving an example, Haldavnekar added, “Radioactivity is in JEE Main but not defined in NEET. So he wanted a clarification from her.”
When asked why Shah approached Havaldar specifically for clarification, Haldavnekar said, “She is a senior faculty member, that’s all.”
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Professional Background
Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune.
Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics.
Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories:
1. Investigations & Governance
“Express Impact: Mother’s name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site” (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents.
“44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest” (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families.
2. Education & Campus Life
Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University.
“Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6” (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state’s move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial.
“Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report” (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state’s education data despite rising student numbers.
3. Human Rights & Social Issues
“Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend” (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the “crime of love” and honor killings in modern India.
“‘People disrespect the disabled’: Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians” (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying.
Signature Style
Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it’s students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his “Breathless Pune” contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty.
X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 … Read More
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