A lecturer in Pune was detained by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday for allegedly giving a small group of applicants access to the NEET UG 2026 physics paper.
Manisha Sanjay Havaldar, who currently works at the Seth Hiralal Saraf Prashala in Pune, has been named as the accused. According to PTI, she is another "source" for the paper leak.
A CBI official said in a statement, "The CBI has identified another key accused who was the source for the leak of NEET-UG 2026 physics questions."
Havaldar was allegedly involved in the NEET UG process after being designated as an expert by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
"The physics question paper was fully accessible to her. She gave co-accused Manisha Mandhare access to some of the questions in April," according to the statement.
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Mandhare, a Pune-based botany instructor, was detained by the CBI on May 16 in relation to the NEET paper leak. The organisation discovered that the questions Havaldar gave the candidates matched the NEET UG 2026 physics paper.
"Several incriminating documents, laptops, bank statements, and cell phones were confiscated by the CBI during searches at several sites around the nation. The agency stated, "A thorough analysis of the seized items is underway," according to PTI.
According to the CBI spokesperson, "11 accused from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, Latur, and Ahliyanagar have been arrested in this case thus far."
Due to claims of a paper leak, the NTA cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET, scheduled for May 3 for medical admissions on May 12. June 21 has been set aside for a re-examination.
The Department of Higher Education under the Education Ministry filed a written complaint, which prompted the CBI to register its case on the same day.
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According to the agency, the inquiry has identified the real source of the paper leak thus far.
The spokesperson stated that "the middlemen, involved in mobilizing students who paid lakhs of rupees to attend special coaching classes where the leaked questions were shared, have been identified and arrested."
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