NEET UG 2026 Paper Leak Case: CBI Arrests Two NTA Affiliated Lecturers

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has widened its probe into the NEET UG 2026 paper leak case , arresting two lecturers who were part of the National Testing Agency (NTA) examination process, in what investigators are now describing as a coordinated insider racket that may have compromised the integrity of one of the country’s most consequential medical entrance tests.

The first arrest was that of Professor P. V. Kulkarni , a chemistry lecturer at Dayanand Medical College, Latur , whom the CBI named the “kingpin” of the operation. Sources confirm that Kulkarni served on the NEET UG 2026 question paper setting committee , giving him authorised access to examination material in the weeks before the test. During the last week of April, Kulkarni allegedly gathered students who paid sums of money for the questions, with the help of another accused named Manisha Waghmare , who was arrested on May 14. The accused reportedly conducted special coaching classes for these selected students at his residence in Pune. The forensic analysis of notebooks seized from the students showed that their handwritten notes matched the actual NEET UG 2026 paper with striking precision.

The CBI then arrested a second figure, biology lecturer Manisha Mandhare , who was part of the NTA paper setting committee for the exam held on May 3. She was questioned at the agency’s headquarters before being formally arrested. Officials said Mandhare had complete access to the Botany and Zoology question papers and allegedly mobilised prospective candidates through Manisha Waghmare, conducting special coaching classes where she dictated leaked questions to select students, charging lakhs of rupees as fees. Most of those questions tallied with what appeared in the actual examination.

The probe had first intensified after a parent in Latur alleged that 42 questions in a mock test conducted by a private coaching institute were identical to those that appeared in the cancelled NEET exam. Local police questioned coaching staff, students, and counsellors and seized CCTV footage from two centres, before informing the CBI, which then traced the trail to Kulkarni.

The CBI told a special court that the allegations revealed the role of an “organised gang” involved in leaking and circulating confidential examination papers for monetary gain. The court sent five of the accused, Shubham Khairnar from Nashik, Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal, and Dinesh Biwal from Jaipur, and Yash Yadav from Gurugram, to seven days of CBI custody. In all, eight people have now been arrested across Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, and Ahilyanagar. The agency is also examining whether any NTA insider beyond the arrested lecturers was involved.

Within the last 24 hours, CBI teams carried out coordinated searches at several locations across India, seizing mobile phones, computers, and documents described as incriminating. Officials say more names could surface as digital evidence is analysed.

The examination, conducted on May 3, was cancelled on May 12 following allegations of irregularities. The NTA has announced that the re-examination will be held on June 21 , with registration data and exam centres from the earlier cycle carried forward at no additional cost to candidates.