NEET-UG Paper Leak Case: Female Lecturer Arrested as CBI Deepens Probe; Total Accused Reach Nine

According to officials, this latest arrest marks a significant escalation in the ongoing investigation into one of the most sensitive examination fraud cases in the country. Previously, the alleged mastermind, PV Kulkarni, was arrested in Pune. Kulkarni, a retired chemistry professor originally from Latur in Maharashtra, was running a coaching center and is believed to have had access to examination materials through his association with the National Testing Agency examination process.

Investigators revealed that in the final week of April 2026, PV Kulkarni, along with co-accused Manisha Waghmare—who was already arrested on 14 May 2026—gathered a group of students for unauthorized coaching sessions. During these sessions at Kulkarni’s residence in Pune, he allegedly dictated examination questions along with multiple-choice options and correct answers, which the students recorded in their notebooks.

Subsequent findings confirmed that the same questions closely matched those that appeared in the NEET-UG examination conducted on 3 May 2026, strengthening suspicions of a coordinated leak operation involving multiple individuals linked to the coaching network.

The CBI has also confirmed the seizure of critical documents, electronic gadgets, and mobile phones from the accused. These materials are currently undergoing detailed forensic and technical analysis to determine the full extent of the conspiracy and identify additional links in the network.

The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities focusing on uncovering the complete chain of events behind the alleged compromise of one of India’s most competitive medical entrance examinations.