Mumbai, May 17: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a senior botany teacher from Pune in connection with the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, officials said on Saturday. The agency has also identified her as one of the key alleged masterminds behind the leakage of Biology questions.
Teacher allegedly had access to confidential papers
The accused, identified as Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, was arrested in Delhi after being subjected to extensive interrogation at the agency's headquarters. Mandhare, a senior botany lecturer, had been appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as a subject expert on the paper-setting committee. Investigators revealed that this official capacity allegedly granted her full and sensitive access to the confidential Botany and Zoology question papers ahead of the pan-India medical entrance examination held on May 3.
CBI alleges coaching sessions linked to leak
According to CBI sources, Mandhare allegedly used her insider access to orchestrate a coordinated leak network beginning in late April 2026. She is said to have connected with NEET aspirants through an intermediary, Manisha Wagmare of Pune, who was already arrested on May 14. Investigators alleged that Mandhare conducted special coaching sessions at her residence in Pune, where she allegedly discussed and disclosed several questions from Botany and Zoology. Candidates were reportedly asked to note down the questions in notebooks and even mark them in textbooks. Investigators claimed that a large number of these questions later matched the actual NEET-UG 2026 paper.
Meanwhile, over the last 24 hours, CBI teams carried out searches at six different locations across the country. During the raids, officials seized laptops, bank documents, mobile phones, and other material believed to be important to the investigation. The agency is now examining the seized evidence in detail.
Nine accused arrested so far
So far, nine people have been arrested in connection with the case from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, and Ahilyanagar. Out of them, five accused have already been sent to police custody for seven days for further interrogation. Two others arrested recently were produced before a Pune court, granted transit remand, and later shifted to Delhi, where they are being presented before a court for further proceedings.
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The case was registered by the CBI on May 12 following a written complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education regarding allegations of a NEET-UG paper leak. Soon after registering the FIR, the agency formed special teams and launched searches across multiple states while questioning several suspects.
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