The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested another alleged mastermind in the National Eligibility Test (NEET)-UG 2026 question paper leak case. The accused is a senior Botany (Biology) teacher from Pune and was also part of the paper preparation committee of the National Testing Agency (NTA) for the medical entrance exam.
Manisha Gurunath Mandhar was arrested after extensive investigation, the agency said in a statement issued on Saturday.
Her arrest came a day after the Central Bureau of Investigation tracked down and arrested the alleged main conspirator in the case, chemistry teacher PV Kulkarni. He also participated in the examination process through NTA, which gave him access to the question papers.
CBI is investigating the NEET leak case
According to the agency, Mandhari allegedly mobilized potential NEET candidates through Pune-based Manisha Waghmar, who runs a beauty salon and was arrested on May 14.
She also reportedly held coaching sessions for these students at her home in Pune, as mentioned in an earlier HT report.
Notably, Kulkarni also brought together students and conducted private classes from his residence in Pune, according to RBI officials.
They both had full access to the question papers
The CBI said Mandhare had full access to the botany and zoology sections of the question papers. “She participated in the NEET UG 2026 examination process and was appointed by NTA as an expert. She had full access to the botany and zoology question papers,” the agency said.
During these practice sessions, she allegedly discussed various questions in botany and zoology, asking the students to write them in notebooks and mark them in their textbooks.
“A majority of these questions are in line with the actual question paper of NEET UG 2026 exam held on May 3,” the CBI said.
Meanwhile, the CBI said Kulkarni was also linked to the NEET exam process through NTA, giving him access to confidential papers.
He is accused of dictating questions, answer choices and correct answers during special classes, HT reported earlier. The students wrote down these details in notebooks and later “exactly matched” them with the original question paper of NEET-UG 2026, officials said.
Students paid thousands of rupees to attend the sessions
Investigators alleged that Mandhare shared the leaked questions and answers with selected students and collected fees worth several lakh rupees.
Meanwhile, students also paid several lakh rupees to attend Kulkarni’s sessions, where they copied questions in notebooks, officials told news agency PTI. The exact amounts are not yet known.
Two sets of question papers were leaked
So far, the CBI has said that the investigation has found that “two sets of question papers, one handwritten and one typed, were leaked from NTA” and that Kulkarni and Mandhari were responsible, officials who did not want to reveal their identity told HT.
The officials also said that “the entire committee that prepared the newspaper and other senior officials of the NTA are under scrutiny” and more arrests may be made in the coming days.
The first time, the source of the paper leak was found at NTA
This was the first time that the probe into the paper leak traced the source back to the NTA itself, an officer requesting anonymity told HT.
He added: “Once the paper was leaked and its PDF files were posted on messaging groups, there could have been hundreds of beneficiaries. We will track them all down but first we are working on the source of the leak and their accomplices.”
The agency is also examining whether Kulkarni and Mandhare had any role in the previous paper leak cases.
How did the papers move after Kulkarni’s coaching classes
The CBI traced the route through which the cards were allegedly distributed after Kulkarni’s lessons.
Investigators said Shubham Khairnar, a resident of Nashik, informed Gurugram-based Yash Yadav in April that a person identified as Mangilal Bewal and also as Mangilal Khatik in official records and court records, was willing to pay. $10 l $12 lakhs to get leaked papers for his younger son.
On April 29, Khairnar informed Yadav that he could arrange around 500 to 600 questions covering physics, chemistry and biology which could “ensure admission in prestigious medical colleges”. He also asked for Class 10 and 12 documents, NEET registration number and a check as security deposit from Mangilal.
On the same day, Yadav allegedly received PDF copies of the leaked papers via Telegram and sent them to Mangilal.
This agreement was based on approximately 150 questions identical to the final exam paper, in exchange for payment of an amount of $10 lakh, officials said. Mangilal allegedly handed over printed copies to three of his relatives who had appeared for the exam, his son Vikas’s friends and a teacher named Satyanarayan.
He is also accused of distributing papers and answer sheets in exchange for money. The Central Bank of Iraq said that incriminating materials were found from his mobile phone.
investigation so far
So far, nine people from five states have been arrested over four days. They include Mandhari, Kulkarni and Waghmare from Pune, Dhananjay Lokhanda from Ahilyanagar, Khairnar from Nashik, Mangilal Piwal, also known as Mangilal Khatik, Vikas Piwal and Dinesh Piwal from Jaipur, and Yadav from Gurugram.
The agency said on Saturday that searches were conducted in six places across the country in the past 24 hours. Officials recovered documents, laptops, bank records and cell phones that may be linked to the case.
’22 lakh children cheated NEET’: Rahul Gandhi demands resignation of Education Minister
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a video message on X said that “22 lakh NEET children were cheated” and demanded the accountability of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
“22 lakh children have been cheated. But Modi ji is not saying a single word. Remove Dharmendra Pradhan ji now, or take responsibility yourself. Modi ji, sack Dharmendra Pradhan ji now,” he wrote in the post.
The NEET-UG exam conducted on May 3 was canceled after alleged irregularities came to light. The Minister of Education later announced that the retest would be held on June 21.
With inputs from Neeraj Chauhan and agencies
