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The CBI has arrested a ninth suspect, a junior college teacher, in the high-profile NEET-UG 2026 biology question paper leak case, escalating the investigation into the exam's security breaches.
Pune-based authorities have escalated the investigation into the NEET-UG 2026 biology question paper leak with the recent CBI arrest of Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a junior college teacher from Pune. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) executed the operation in Delhi on Saturday, bringing in Mandhare for interrogation before formally detaining her. Authorities assert that Mandhare was a key accused in the case, leveraging her position as a subject expert associated with the National Testing Agency (NTA). The NTA is the statutory body responsible for conducting the NEET-UG examination. Mandhare, a biology teacher at the Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, was reportedly on leave at the time of her detention.
The arrest marks a significant development in the probe, as Mandhare is the ninth suspect to be taken into custody regarding the paper leak. The CBI stated that because of her role as an expert, Mandhare had direct access to confidential botany and zoology papers. This access allegedly allowed her to facilitate the breach of exam security. The timing of the arrest follows closely on the heels of the detention of P V Kulkarni, a retired professor and former head of the chemistry department at a private college in Latur. Kulkarni was nabbed the previous day and is believed to have been part of panels involved in setting the chemistry paper for several years.
Mandhare’s professional history with the NTA spans six to seven years, according to information released by the CBI and her college authorities. Nivedita Ekbote, the principal of Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, confirmed that Mandhare is a permanent teacher holding a government-aided post. Ekbote noted that Mandhare is slated to retire in seven months and had taught biology to students in Standards XI and XII. The principal explained that due to confidentiality clauses mandated by court guidelines and government authorities, the NTA interacted directly with Mandhare. This direct interaction meant the college was often unaware of when she departed for or returned from her NTA duties.
"We never came to know when she went to the NTA and when she returned," Ekbote stated. As a senior teacher, Ekbote suggested it was likely that Mandhare had been involved in paper-setting exercises at various locations, including for the state board. Ekbote emphasized that Mandhare had been employed at the college since September 11, 2002, and that there had never been any issues with her or her colleagues. However, the administration is now in a state of shock following the arrest. The college management has announced plans to initiate suspension proceedings against her pending the CBI inquiry. This process will be conducted in consultation with the college’s legal team and will adhere to the Maharashtra Employees of Private Schools (MEPS) Act.
Simultaneously, the CBI team conducted extensive searches at Mandhare’s residence in the Ganga Osian Park society located at Sukhsagarnagar near Katraj. The searches were focused on her sixth-floor flat in the A-wing of the society. Reporters were denied entry into the flat as CBI personnel managed the scene. The location is significant due to its connection with another suspect in the case. Manisha Waghmare, a beauty parlour owner who was arrested earlier in the NEET-UG paper leak case, resides in the same society. A member of the society confirmed that both women knew each other. Waghmare lives in a fourth-floor flat in the B-wing of Ganga Osian Park. Her residence was found locked on Saturday, and her husband’s nearby clinic in Sukhsagarnagar was also closed. The society member noted that CBI officials had visited the society for the second time within a week, raising awareness among residents who had previously been unaware of the details of Mandhare’s living situation or family presence in the flat.
The investigation into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak continues to unravel layers of complicity, connecting educational experts with operational elements. The involvement of Manisha Gurunath Mandhare highlights the vulnerability of high-stakes examinations to insider threats. As the probe deepens, the focus remains on establishing the exact mechanism of the leak and the extent of collusion between examiners and external agents.
The arrest of Manisha Gurunath Mandhare has triggered immediate administrative and legal reactions within the educational community in Pune. The principal’s clarification regarding the direct interaction between the NTA and staff members due to confidentiality clauses sheds light on potential loopholes in the vetting and monitoring processes used by testing agencies. The reliance on long-standing experts who operate outside the immediate visibility of their employing institutions presents a significant security risk. As the CBI continues to link Mandhare with the biology paper leak and draws connections to other suspects like Manisha Waghmare, the scrutiny on the NTA’s recruitment of subject experts will likely intensify. Educational institutions and testing bodies may need to overhaul their protocols to ensure that experts with access to confidential materials are subject to stricter oversight, thereby preventing future breaches of academic integrity in competitive examinations like the NEET-UG.
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