The CBI has arrested another mastermind in the NEET UG 2026 paper leak case. The CBI has arrested a Pune-based Botany teacher from Delhi. The other key accused in the case, Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a senior Botany teacher from Pune, Maharashtra, has been arrested by the CBI from Delhi after extensive interrogation. She was involved in the NEET UG 2026 exam process and was appointed as an expert by the NTA. She had full access to the Botany and Zoology question papers.
How the conspiracy was hatched
Investigation revealed that during April 2026, she collected NEET aspirants through Manisha Waghmare of Pune (who has already been arrested by CBI) and conducted special coaching classes for them at his residence in Pune. During these classes, she presented students with several questions from Botany and Zoology, instructing them to mark them in their notebooks and textbooks. Most of these questions matched the actual NEET UG 2026 question paper.
NEET paper leak : CBI questions director of Renukai Chemistry Classes Shivraj Motegaonkar at his residence in Maharashtra's Latur. pic.twitter.com/6Crljjx1Mg
— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) May 15, 2026Over the past 24 hours, the CBI has conducted raids at six locations across the country. Numerous incriminating documents, laptops, bank statements, and mobile phones have been seized during this operation. A detailed analysis of the seized material is ongoing. To date, a total of nine accused have been arrested in this case from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, and Ahilya Nagar. Five of these accused have been produced in court and sent to seven-day police remand. Meanwhile, two other accused arrested yesterday were brought to Delhi on transit remand after being produced before a court in Pune. They are being produced before a Delhi court.
One more mastermind is arrested
Earlier, the CBI arrested another mastermind in the case, chemistry lecturer P.V. Kulkarni. Kulkarni hails from Latur district in Maharashtra. He was first brought to Pune on transit remand and is now being brought to Delhi. The investigating agency claims that Kulkarni was involved with the National Testing Agency (NTA) examination process for a long time and had access to question papers. According to the CBI, in the last week of April, PV Kulkarni, along with another accused, Manisha Waghmare, began recruiting students. Manisha Waghmare was arrested on May 14. The investigation revealed that special coaching classes were held at Kulkarni’s home in Pune for select students. In these classes, students were dictated questions, their options, and correct answers, which they would write in their notebooks.
The investigation also revealed that PV Kulkarni and Manisha Waghmare operated an organized syndicate. This network targeted students based on their economic and educational status. Seminars were held at various locations, and former students, especially those with engineering backgrounds, were used as agents. The entire matter came to light when some parents in Latur complained that 42 questions in a mock test conducted by a coaching institute were identical to the actual NEET UG exam paper. Following this, the local police launched an investigation and the case was later handed over to the CBI.
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Edited by: Bhoomi Goyal
