NEET UG 2026 Leak: CBI Arrests Pune Lecturer Accused of Sharing Physics Paper

The CBI investigation into the NEET UG 2026 paper leak has taken a major turn with the arrest of a Pune-based lecturer , who is alleged to have leaked the physics question paper to a select group of aspirants ahead of the examination.

The accused, Manisha Sanjay Havaldar , was employed at Seth Hiralal Saraf Prashala in Pune and had reportedly been appointed as an expert by the National Testing Agency (NTA) during the NEET examination process. According to the CBI, her role gave her direct access to the physics question paper before the exam was conducted.

Officials allege that Havaldar shared several questions in April with co-accused Manisha Mandhare , a botany teacher from Pune who was arrested earlier in the case. During the investigation, the agency found that the questions circulated by the accused matched those that later appeared in the actual NEET UG 2026 physics paper .

The controversy surrounding the medical entrance examination triggered nationwide outrage among students and parents, eventually forcing the NTA to cancel the NEET UG exam conducted on May 3 . Authorities have since announced that a re-examination will be held on June 21 .

The CBI, which registered the case after receiving a complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Education Ministry , says the investigation has exposed a wider network involving teachers, middlemen and coaching operators.

According to officials, some students allegedly paid lakhs of rupees to gain access to leaked questions through special coaching sessions organised before the examination. The agency claims the middlemen played a key role in identifying students and distributing the leaked material.

Searches conducted across several locations in the country resulted in the seizure of mobile phones, laptops, bank documents and other incriminating evidence . Investigators are now analysing the digital and financial records.

So far, the CBI has arrested 11 accused from multiple cities, including Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, Latur and Ahilyanagar , as the probe into one of the country’s biggest exam controversies continues.