NEET UG 2026 Paper Leak: CBI Arrests 9 in Nationwide Racket
Probe links lecturers, intermediaries and coaching networks to major exam leak scandal
- CBI arrests nine accused in NEET UG 2026 paper leak case
- Pune lecturer Manisha Mandhare named alleged mastermind
- Leak network spread across Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Haryana
- Probe reveals secret coaching sessions and question circulation racket
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 20th May: The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested nine accused in connection with the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak case, uncovering what investigators describe as a highly organised examination fraud network involving insiders, intermediaries and coaching-linked operators across multiple states.
According to preliminary findings, the alleged racket operated through individuals linked to the examination ecosystem, including experts associated with the National Testing Agency.
Investigators have identified Pune-based senior botany lecturer Manisha Gurunath Mandhare as the alleged mastermind behind the operation.
CBI officials suspect Mandhare, who reportedly served as an examination expert linked to the NTA, misused her position to access confidential question papers and distribute them through a wider syndicate.
Another key accused, retired chemistry professor P. V. Kulkarni from Latur, is alleged to have coordinated extraction and circulation of leaked questions through intermediaries and underground coaching networks.
The agency has also named Pune-based salon owner Manisha Waghmare as part of the syndicate. She allegedly recruited candidates and organised secret “memorisation classes” where leaked questions and answers were distributed.
According to investigators, the operation began in the last week of April when selected candidates were allegedly offered leaked questions in exchange for large payments.
Students were reportedly instructed to memorise answers rather than understand concepts, indicating a pre-planned cheating mechanism.
The investigation gained momentum after a mock test conducted at a coaching centre in Latur reportedly contained questions closely matching those that later appeared in the actual NEET UG examination.
Suspicious similarities prompted complaints from parents, eventually leading to a formal investigation and transfer of the case to the CBI.
Among the other accused arrested are Jaipur-based Mangi Lal Biwal, his son and medical student Vikas Biwal, and Dinesh Biwal, who allegedly handled financial transactions linked to the racket.
Investigators said Yash Yadav from Gurgaon allegedly acted as a key intermediary between the leak source and distribution network.
Nashik-based Shubham Khairnar is accused of circulating leaked question sets within coaching circles, while Dhananjay Lokhande, an Ayurvedic practitioner from Ahilyanagar, allegedly helped identify candidates and organise offline coaching sessions.
The CBI believes the network extended across Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Haryana and targeted students from economically weaker backgrounds by offering access to “special classes” conducted at discreet locations.
Officials said several questions in the final examination closely matched notes circulated during these secret sessions, strengthening suspicions of a systematic leak.
The agency is now examining mobile data, digital communication records and banking transactions to trace the financial and operational structure of the network.
Investigators are also probing possible links between the current racket and previous examination paper leak incidents.
Officials suspect involvement of additional examination insiders, coaching institutes and facilitators connected to printing, distribution and circulation of confidential materials.
The case has triggered nationwide concern over the integrity of competitive examinations and renewed debate over the need for stronger digital security systems, encryption protocols and internal monitoring mechanisms in examination bodies.
All nine accused remain under interrogation as the CBI continues its investigation into what is being described as one of the country’s largest organised examination fraud cases in recent years.
