The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is intensifying its probe into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, with the investigation now encompassing a wider network across Maharashtra and examining digital evidence, including Telegram chats and financial transactions. The probe has moved beyond initial arrests to scrutinize coaching centre links, the movement of leaked papers, and individuals suspected of purchasing the leaked examination materials.
Sources indicate that Telegram was a primary platform used to disseminate leaked questions and facilitate communication among students, middlemen, and other individuals implicated in the network. A dedicated CBI team is meticulously analyzing deleted chats, call detail records, CCTV footage, and data retrieved from seized mobile phones and electronic devices to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify all parties involved.
The investigation has extended to various parts of Maharashtra, with individuals from coaching hubs like Nashik and centres of alleged malpractice such as Latur and Nanded coming under scrutiny. In Nashik, the arrest of Shubham Khairnar, suspected of handling biology-related leaks through a separate network, has brought several coaching operators and admission counselors into the investigation’s purview. The agency is also examining CCTV footage from Khairnar’s vicinity, along with his call records and social media activities.
The probe reached Nanded, where a CBI team questioned the family of a construction businessman suspected of paying approximately ₹5 lakh for the leaked NEET paper for their daughter. This line of inquiry aims to trace the flow of money and identify the buyers of the leaked examination content.
Further deepening the investigation, the CBI has arrested key individuals identified as masterminds and facilitators. Among those arrested is Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a senior Botany teacher from Pune, who was appointed as an expert by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and allegedly had access to the Botany and Zoology question papers. She is believed to have mobilized prospective candidates through another accused, beauty salon owner Manisha Waghmare, also from Pune. Special coaching sessions were reportedly held at Mandhare’s residence, where questions from Botany and Zoology were discussed and dictated to students, with a significant number of these questions matching the actual NEET-UG 2024 examination paper.
Another significant arrest in Maharashtra is that of P.V. Kulkarni, a chemistry lecturer from Pune, who is alleged to have leaked chemistry questions. Kulkarni, allegedly involved in the examination process on behalf of the NTA, is also accused of mobilizing students with the help of Manisha Waghmare. Coaching classes were reportedly conducted at Kulkarni’s residence, where he dictated questions, answer options, and correct responses to students.
The CBI’s investigation suggests a layered network, beginning with access within the examination system and extending through intermediaries to candidates. The agency is also reportedly examining the potential involvement of National Testing Agency (NTA) officials, with an unnamed official said to be under scrutiny. The emergence of Manisha Mandhare as a common link between several accused has added complexity to the unfolding conspiracy.
The broader investigation has seen arrests and detentions across multiple states, including Rajasthan and Haryana. The agency has registered multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) related to the case, addressing aspects such as paper leakage, impersonation, and cheating. The CBI’s investigation into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak remains ongoing as it seeks to unravel the full extent of the conspiracy and bring all involved parties to justice.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
