CBI cracks NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, Pune chemistry lecturer named as mastermind

NEET paper leak case: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday claimed to have identified the alleged mastermind behind the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper leak case. According to investigators, Pune-based chemistry lecturer PV Kulkarni played a key role in leaking the question paper ahead of the national medical entrance examination.

The agency said Kulkarni was associated with the examination process on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which allegedly gave him access to confidential question papers.

During the last week of April 2026, Kulkarni allegedly contacted selected students with the help of co-accused Manisha Waghmare, who was arrested by the CBI on May 14. Investigators alleged that special coaching sessions were organised at Kulkarni’s residence in Pune, where he reportedly dictated questions, multiple-choice options and correct answers to students.

According to the CBI, students attending these sessions wrote down the questions in notebooks, and investigators later found that the handwritten content matched exactly with the actual NEET-UG 2026 question paper conducted on May 3.

The probe agency said the investigation has so far led to the arrest of seven accused from Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune and Ahilyanagar. Of them, five accused have already been produced before the court and remanded to seven days of police custody for further interrogation.

The remaining two accused, arrested on Thursday, are currently being produced before a Pune court for transit remand and will subsequently be shifted to Delhi for further proceedings in the case.

The CBI is continuing its investigation to determine the wider network involved in the alleged leak and whether more individuals were connected to the operation.