NEET-UG leak case: Pune teacher arrested over Biology paper leak

A botany teacher from Pune has been arrested in connection with the NEET-UG Biology paper leak case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Friday, taking the total number of arrests in the probe to nine.

The accused, identified as Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, was arrested from Delhi after questioning. The CBI said she had served as an expert in the NEET-UG examination process after being appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

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Alleged leak shared in coaching sessions

According to investigators, Mandhare allegedly contacted NEET candidates through another accused, Manisha Waghmare, and conducted coaching sessions at her residence. During these sessions, she is accused of sharing key Botany and Zoology questions and instructing students to record them in notebooks and textbooks.

The CBI said several of these questions later matched the NEET-UG exam held on May 3.

Multi-state probe and digital evidence seized

Searches were conducted at six locations across India, with laptops, mobile phones, bank records and other documents recovered. Officials said forensic analysis of the seized material is underway.

The agency said the investigation has revealed links to a wider network involving middlemen and candidates across multiple states, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra and Kerala.

Alleged ‘kingpin’ and organised leak racket

Earlier, the CBI arrested alleged kingpin PV Kulkarni, a chemistry lecturer associated with the exam process. He is accused of accessing question papers and running coaching sessions where questions and answers were dictated to students.

Investigators said handwritten notes from these sessions closely matched the actual exam paper, pointing to an organised “guess paper” racket.

Court petition challenges NTA framework

In a parallel development, a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking restructuring of the National Testing Agency (NTA) over alleged systemic failures in conducting NEET-UG 2026.

The plea calls for a statutory body under parliamentary oversight, citing repeated breaches of exam integrity and alleged organised leaks.

Computer-based exams from next year

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has announced that NEET exams will move to a computer-based format from next year, citing repeated paper leak concerns.

Re-exam scheduled for June 21

The NEET UG 2026 re-examination is scheduled for Sunday, June 21, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM in pen-and-paper (offline) mode across 13 languages. The exam city intimation slip, admit cards and other details will be released on the official website, with updates expected by June 14.

Overview of NEET-UG 2026 exam

The NEET-UG 2026 exam was conducted on May 3 for undergraduate medical admissions, with around 22 lakh candidates appearing.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the exam on May 12 amid allegations of irregularities and a probe by Rajasthan’s Special Operations Group (SOG).

Investigators said a handwritten “guess paper” circulated before the exam partially matched the actual question paper, with large portions of Biology and Chemistry questions reportedly appearing in the leaked set.