NEET-UG paper leak: CBI arrests biology lecturer linked to NTA paper-setting panel

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday arrested a biology lecturer who was part of the National Testing Agency’s paper-setting committee for the cancelled NEET-UG examination, officials said.

The accused, identified as Manisha Mandhare, was arrested after questioning at the CBI headquarters in Delhi in connection with the alleged paper leak that led to cancellation of the nationwide medical entrance examination conducted on 3 May.

According to officials, Mandhare was appointed by the NTA as a subject expert and allegedly had access to confidential Botany and Zoology question papers used in the examination.

The arrest follows questioning of alleged mastermind P. V. Kulkarni and other accused already arrested in the case.

Coaching racket

Investigators alleged that Mandhare mobilised prospective NEET candidates in April through another accused, Manisha Waghmare of Pune, who was arrested by the CBI on 14 May.

Officials claimed Mandhare conducted special coaching sessions at her residence in Pune where she allegedly dictated leaked questions and answers to select students after charging them several lakh rupees.

According to the CBI, many of the questions shared during those sessions matched the actual questions that appeared in the NEET-UG examination held on 3 May.

The agency had earlier arrested Kulkarni, a chemistry expert from Latur who had reportedly served on NEET paper-setting panels for several years.

The CBI alleged that Kulkarni similarly exploited his privileged access to confidential material by conducting coaching sessions at his residence during the last week of April.

Students attending the sessions allegedly wrote down questions, options and answers in notebooks, which later “tallied exactly” with the actual examination paper, officials claimed.

Probe after exam cancellation

The NEET-UG examination was conducted across 551 cities in India and 14 overseas centres, with nearly 23 lakh candidates registered for the test.

The examination was cancelled after allegations surfaced that portions of the paper had been leaked before the exam.

According to the NTA, information regarding suspected malpractice was received on the evening of 7 May, four days after the examination.

The agency said the information was immediately escalated to central authorities for independent verification and investigation.

The CBI has since registered an FIR and formed multiple teams to probe the alleged paper leak network and possible involvement of individuals linked to the examination process.