Protests are being held across the country against the National Testing Agency following the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination over an alleged paper leak. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday (May 16, 2026) has arrested a biology lecturer from Pune in connection with the 2026 NEET-UG paper leak case.
Manisha Gurunath Mandhare was appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as an expert and was involved in the examination process this year.
“She had complete access to the botany and zoology question papers. During April 2026, she had mobilised prospective NEET examination candidates through Manisha Waghmare of Pune (already arrested on May 14) and conducted special coaching classes for these students at her Pune residence,” the agency said.
According to the CBI, during those classes, Ms. Mandhare explained and disclosed various questions from botany and zoology subjects, made the students note down the same in their notebooks, and also mark in their textbooks. Majority of these questions tallied with the actual question paper of NEET UG 2026 examination held on May 3,” the CBI said.
In the last 24 hours, the CBI has conducted searches at six locations across the country and seized laptops, bank statements, and mobile phones.
The agency has so far arrested nine accused in the case. Pune-based chemistry lecturer P.V. Kulkarni was held on the charge of leaking chemistry questions. The agency alleged that he had access to the question papers as he was allegedly involved in the examination process on behalf of the NTA.
During the last week of April 2026, he had also allegedly mobilised students with the help of Ms. Waghmare, a beauty salon owner. The “kingpin” conducted special coaching classes for them at his residence in Pune and dictated questions, answer options, and correct responses, which students wrote down in their notebooks. The questions reportedly matched exactly with those in the actual examination paper.
The others arrested in the case are Dhananjay Lokhande from Ahilyanagar and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik in Maharashtra; Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal, and Dinesh Biwal from Jaipur, Rajasthan; and Yash Yadav from Gurugram, Haryana
The CBI registered the case on May 12 based on a written complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education. Special teams have been formed to develop leads and track down beneficiaries, and suspects, including those involved in the distribution of a “guess” paper which closely matched the actual paper.
Published – May 16, 2026 04:16 pm IST
