New Delhi, May 16: The CBI has arrested another key accused - Manisha Gurunath Mandhare - a Senior Botany Teacher from Pune, Maharashtra in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak case.
According to the EBI, accused Manisha was involved in the NEET UG 2026 Examination process and appointed by NTA as an expert. She had complete access to the Botony and Zoology question papers. During April 2026 she had mobilized prospective NEET examination candidates through Manisha Wagmare of Pune (already arrested on 14-05-26) and conducted special coaching classes for these students at her Pune residence.
During these classes she explained and disclosed various questions from Botany and Zoology subjects and made the students note down the same in their notebooks and also mark in their text books. Majority of these questions tallied with the actual question paper of NEET UG 2026Examination held on May 3.
In the last 24 hours, CBI has also conducted searches at 6 locations across the country and seized several incriminating documents, Laptops, bank statements and mobile phones. Detailed analysis of the seized items is going on.
It may be recalled that CBI has registered this case on 12.05.2026 based on the written complaint given by Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India pertaining to alleged paper leak of NEET-UG 2026 Examination. Immediately after registration of the case, special teams were formed and searches were conducted at various locations across the country and several suspects were picked up and interrogated.
So far, nine accused have been arrested in this case from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune and Ahliyanagar. Out of these, five accused have already been produced before the court and taken into seven days police custody remand for detailed interrogation. Other two accused who were arrested yesterday have produced before the court in Pune and shifted to Delhi after taking Transit Remand. They are being produced before the Delhi court.
Investigation is continuing with the special teams and the investigation conducted so far has brought out the actual source of the leakage of Chemistry and Biology papers as well as the middlemen involved in mobilizing the students who paid lakhs of rupees to attend the special coaching classes where the questions which would come in the NEET UG-2026 exam were dictated and discussed.
