A Delhi court sent NEET paper leak accused Manisha Gurunath Mandhare to 14 days of CBI custody, intensifying the investigation into the NEET-UG 2026 scandal.
Mandhare, an NTA-appointed senior Botany teacher from Pune, is suspected to be the co-mastermind behind the leak of the Biology question paper. Chemistry professor P.V. Kulkarni is considered the kingpin of the operation.
During proceedings at Rouse Avenue Court, the CBI stated that Mandhare conspired with Kulkarni and consultant Manisha Waghmare. She allegedly handed the question paper to another accused, Shubham, and conducted special coaching sessions at her Pune residence, where she disclosed questions to students.
The defence argued that her arrest was illegal, claiming she was detained after sundown and brought to Delhi at 1 a.m. The court allowed her to meet her counsel daily for 15 minutes.
CBI officials confirmed that many of the questions disclosed by Mandhare matched the actual NEET-UG 2026 paper held on May 3, later cancelled nationwide. In the last 24 hours, the agency conducted searches at six locations, seizing incriminating documents, laptops, bank statements, and mobile phones.
So far, nine accused have been arrested across Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, and Ahliyanagar. Investigators identified middlemen who mobilised students and charged lakhs of rupees for access to leaked questions.
The NEET paper leak case continues to unfold, with CBI special teams tracking the source of the Biology and Chemistry paper leaks and interrogating suspects nationwide.
