New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Sunday granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) 14 days of police custody for Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a key accused in the NEET-UG 2026 question paper leak case. The CBI presented Mandhare before the court, seeking her custody for further interrogation.
Who is Manisha Mandhare?
Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a senior Botany teacher from Pune, Maharashtra, was arrested in Delhi after being questioned by the agency. According to the CBI, Mandhare was associated with the NEET-UG 2026 examination process and had been appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as an expert. This role gave her access to the Botany and Zoology question papers, as reported by the news agency ANI.
Allegations Against Mandhare
Investigators allege that in April 2026, Mandhare mobilized prospective NEET candidates through Manisha Wagmare of Pune, who had already been arrested on May 14. The CBI claims that Mandhare conducted special coaching classes at her residence in Pune, during which she allegedly disclosed several Botany and Zoology questions and instructed students to note them down in notebooks and textbooks.
The agency stated that a majority of those questions matched the actual NEET-UG 2026 question paper conducted on May 3, which has now been cancelled. This arrest comes a day after the CBI arrested retired chemistry professor PV Kulkarni in Latur in connection with the same paper leak case. Kulkarni, who spent over three decades in academia, was part of the NTA panel involved in setting the question paper. Investigators have been examining the roles of individuals involved in preparing the questions.
Searches and Seizures
In the last 24 hours, the CBI conducted searches at six locations across the country and seized several incriminating documents, laptops, bank statements, and mobile phones. The agency said that a detailed analysis of the seized material is underway.
Arrests Made So Far
So far, nine accused have been arrested in the case from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, and Ahilyanagar. Five accused have already been sent to seven days of police custody for interrogation, while two others arrested in Pune were produced before a local court and later shifted to Delhi on transit remand.
The NEET-UG 2026 re-examination is scheduled to take place on June 21.
