New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Saturday arrested a Botany lecturer at a prominent Pune college as the ninth accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, identifying her as one of the two primary sources who allegedly disclosed examination questions to students in the weeks before the 3 May test.
The arrested lecturer, Manisha Mandhare, had been appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) to set question papers and held access to both the Botany and Zoology sections of the examination, a CBI spokesperson said.
“During April 2026, she had mobilised prospective NEET examination candidates through Manisha Wagmare of Pune and conducted special coaching classes for these students at her Pune residence,” the spokesperson said.
During these sessions, Mandhare allegedly disclosed questions to students.
“During these classes she (Mandhare) explained and disclosed various questions from Botany and Zoology subjects and made the students note down the same in their notebooks and also mark in their text books. Majority of these questions tallied with the actual question paper of NEET UG 2026 examination held on 03-05-2026,” the CBI spokesperson said.
Mandhare’s arrest—a day after the arrest of retired Chemistry professor P.V. Kulkarni on similar allegations—marks a breakthrough in the case. In the preceding 24 hours, CBI raided six premises linked to the suspected sources and beneficiaries of the leaked papers, recovering digital devices and other evidence.
Kulkarni, originally from Latur district and settled in Pune where he ran coaching classes, was also appointed by the NTA to set Chemistry question papers. He is alleged to have used the same method as Mandhare: disclosing exam questions to students in special coaching sessions before the test.
Manisha Waghmare—arrested by CBI Thursday after the agency took over from the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG)—was identified as the linchpin connecting both professors to the students who paid to attend these sessions. She allegedly helped both Kulkarni and Mandhare gather candidates for the classes, where questions and answers were disclosed.
From Waghmare, the leaked material is alleged to have passed through a chain of middlemen: first to Dhananjay Lokhande, then to Nashik resident Shubham Khairan, and via Gurugram resident Yash Yadav to the Biwal brothers in Rajasthan, who procured the papers for their own family.
Rajasthan SOG’s preliminary investigation had estimated that approximately 135 questions of Chemistry and Biology were leaked and circulated on platforms, including WhatsApp and Telegram. There are 180 questions—45 each of Botany, Zoology, Chemistry and Physics in NEET-UG examination question papers.
“Investigation is continuing with the special teams and the investigation conducted so far has brought out the actual source of the leakage of Chemistry and Biology papers as well as the middlemen involved in mobilising the students who paid lakhs of rupees to attend the special coaching classes where the questions, which would come in the NEET UG-2026 exam were dictated and discussed,” the CBI said.
The NTA earlier this week cancelled NEET-UG 2026, saying it had credible information about possible malpractice. The medical entrance exam, for which over 22 lakh students sat on 3 May, will now be held on 21 June, it announced later.