Pune: Angered by the NEET examination paper leak, several student organisations staged high-voltage protests in Pune on Monday. Members of NSUI and Yuva Thackeray Sena carried out a protest march demanding strict action against those involved in the alleged scam.
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Protesters Detained By Police…
Several protesters were detained by the police, with dramatic scenes unfolding as some agitators were allegedly dragged and forcibly removed during the crackdown.
The protest march was organised from Dnyaneshwar Paduka Chowk to Modern College following the arrest of senior botany professor Manisha Mandhare by the CBI in connection with the NEET paper leak case. Akshay Kamble, President of NSUI Pune City, claimed that Pune had played a major role in the nationwide examination scandal.
Strict Action Demanded…
“We staged this protest to demand strict action from the administration,” Kamble said.
During the agitation, demonstrators raised slogans against the central and state governments and demanded the resignations of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Nivedita Ekbote.
However, before the march could reach Modern College, Pune Police stopped the protesters and took several activists into custody. Some protesters staged a sit-in on the road, accusing the police and the government of trying to suppress their voices. Speaking during the protest, agitators alleged that the government was attempting to “muzzle the youth” instead of addressing the serious allegations surrounding the NEET examination paper leak.
Pune-Based Individuals Arrested In Paper Leak Case…
1) Manisha Gurunath Mandhare
A senior botany professor appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as an exam expert, Mandhare, is alleged to be one of the masterminds behind the paper leak.
Mandhare, a senior botany teacher from Pune, Maharashtra, was arrested in Delhi following sustained interrogation by the CBI. According to investigators, she was associated with the NEET UG 2026 examination process and had been appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as an expert. She allegedly had access to the Botany and Zoology question papers.
The investigation has revealed that during April 2026, she allegedly mobilised prospective NEET candidates through another accused, Manisha Waghmare of Pune, who had earlier been arrested on May 14, 2026.
2) PV Kulkarni
A retired chemistry lecturer and NTA panellist, Kulkarni is alleged to have been one of the original sources of the leaked chemistry papers.
Kulkarni, who was involved in the examination process on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA), allegedly had access to confidential question papers. During the last week of April 2026, he was accused of mobilising students with the help of another accused, Manisha Waghmare, and conducting special coaching sessions for them at his residence in Pune.
3) Manisha Waghmare
A local facilitator who allegedly mobilised prospective candidates and coordinated the special coaching classes where leaked questions were reportedly dictated.
Waghmare runs a beauty parlour in Sukhsagar Nagar, Pune.
So far, nine accused have been arrested from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, and Ahilyanagar in connection with the case.
