CBI Arrests Senior Botany Teacher in NEET Paper Leak Scandal

In a significant development, the CBI has arrested Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a senior botany teacher, as part of an investigation into a NEET paper leak scandal. Mandhare is accused of being the mastermind behind the leak, having had access to crucial exam materials. The agency has conducted extensive searches and arrested several individuals linked to the case, revealing a complex web of conspirators. As the investigation unfolds, the CBI is intensifying its efforts to apprehend additional suspects involved in this educational fraud. Stay tuned for more updates on this evolving story.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 16, 2026, 17:06 IST

CBI Takes Action Against NEET Paper Leak

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a senior botany teacher from Pune, as a key conspirator in a significant paper leak case. According to the CBI, Mandhare was the mastermind behind the leak of the biology question paper. She had been appointed as an expert by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for the NEET-UG 2026 examination process, granting her full access to the botany and zoology question papers. Investigations revealed that during April 2026, she connected several NEET candidates through Manisha Waghmare from Pune, who had already been arrested on May 14.

During these sessions, Mandhare explained various questions related to botany and zoology, instructing students to write them in their notebooks and mark them in textbooks. Most of these questions matched those on the actual NEET UG 2026 question paper, which was conducted on May 3. In the last 24 hours, the CBI has conducted searches at six locations across the country, seizing numerous incriminating documents, laptops, bank statements, and mobile phones.

So far, nine individuals have been arrested in connection with this case from locations including Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, and Ahilyanagar. Five of these suspects have been presented in court and are currently in police custody for seven days for further questioning. Two other recently arrested individuals were brought before a Pune court and are being sent to Delhi on transit remand for further proceedings.

CBI Intensifies Search for Additional Suspects

The CBI has escalated its search for two more associates of the alleged mastermind, P.V. Kulkarni, in the NEET paper leak case. Sources indicate that Kulkarni, along with Waghmare, was significantly involved in the paper leak, and the agency is conducting raids in Pune and Latur to locate these lecturers. P.V. Kulkarni was arrested on Friday, May 15, in Pune, and is expected to be presented in a CBI court today after receiving transit remand.