New Delhi

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested another alleged mastermind in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, identifying her as the source behind the Biology section leak of the examination.

According to an official press release, the accused, Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a senior Botany teacher from Pune, Maharashtra, was arrested in Delhi following detailed interrogation by the agency.

The CBI stated that Mandhare had been associated with the NEET-UG 2026 examination process and was appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as an expert, giving her complete access to the Botany and Zoology question papers.

Investigators alleged that during April, she coordinated with Manisha Wagmare of Pune, who had already been arrested on May 14, to identify prospective NEET candidates and conduct special coaching sessions at her residence in Pune.

During these sessions, Mandhare allegedly disclosed several questions from Botany and Zoology, instructing students to note them down in notebooks and mark them in textbooks. According to the agency, a majority of those questions later matched the actual NEET-UG 2026 examination paper conducted on May 3.

The CBI also carried out searches at six locations across the country in the past 24 hours. During the raids, officials seized laptops, mobile phones, bank statements and other documents considered incriminating. The seized material is currently under detailed examination.

The agency had registered the case on May 12 after receiving a written complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education regarding alleged paper leaks and irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination.

Following the registration of the case, the CBI constituted special investigation teams and conducted searches at multiple locations nationwide. Several suspects were detained and questioned during the investigation.

So far, nine individuals have been arrested from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune and Ahilyanagar in connection with the case. Of them, five accused had already been produced before a court and remanded to seven days of police custody for further interrogation.

The two accused arrested a day earlier were produced before a court in Pune and later brought to Delhi on transit remand. They are expected to be presented before a Delhi court.

The agency said the investigation has revealed the alleged source of the Chemistry and Biology paper leaks, along with the network of middlemen involved in recruiting students who reportedly paid large sums of money to attend coaching sessions where likely examination questions were discussed and dictated.

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The CBI said it remains committed to carrying out a “comprehensive, impartial and professional investigation” into the matter.