The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a second alleged mastermind in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, a senior Botany lecturer from Pune who was part of the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) paper-setting panel, a day after the arrest of retired chemistry lecturer P V Kulkarni, officials said on Saturday.
The accused, identified as Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, was arrested following prolonged interrogation by the agency.
In a statement, the Central Bureau of Investigation said Mandhare was involved in the NEET-UG 2026 examination process and had been appointed by the NTA as an expert with complete access to Botany and Zoology question papers.
According to investigators, she allegedly used a modus operandi similar to that of Kulkarni by dictating leaked questions to students attending special coaching sessions.
The agency alleged that during April 2026, Mandhare mobilised prospective NEET candidates through co-accused Manisha Waghmare, a Pune-based beauty parlour owner arrested earlier this week, and conducted coaching classes at her residence.
“During these classes, 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 them in their textbooks. Majority of these questions tallied with the actual question paper of the NEET UG 2026 examination held on May 3,” the CBI said.
Also read: NEET-UG 2026 re-exam to be held on June 2
Mandhare will be brought to Delhi for further questioning regarding the role of other accused persons.
Officials said the probe had revealed that two sets of question papers, one handwritten and another typed, were leaked from within the NTA, allegedly involving both Mandhare and Kulkarni.
The agency has also placed the entire paper-setting panel and several senior NTA officials under scrutiny, with more arrests likely in the coming days.
So far, nine people across five states have been arrested in the case, including accused persons from Pune, Nashik, Jaipur and Gurugram.
The CBI said it had also conducted searches at six locations in the last 24 hours and recovered incriminating documents, laptops, bank statements and mobile phones.
The agency registered the case on May 12 following a complaint from the Union education ministry.
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