The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested a senior Botany teacher from Pune in connection with the alleged leak of Biology question papers in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, taking the number of arrested accused in the matter to nine.
Senior Teacher Held in Pune
The arrested accused has been identified as Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a senior Botany teacher from Pune, Maharashtra. According to the CBI, she was involved in the NEET-UG 2026 examination process and had been appointed as an expert by the National Testing Agency.
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The agency said the accused had complete access to the Botany and Zoology question papers. Investigators alleged that she mobilised prospective NEET candidates through another accused, Manisha Wagare from Pune, who was arrested on the 14th of this month.
Students Allegedly Coached at Residence
The CBI said Mandhare allegedly conducted special coaching classes for the students at her Pune residence. The agency has so far arrested nine accused in the case from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune and Ahilyanagar.
Out of the arrested accused, five have already been produced before a court and sent to seven-day police custody for detailed interrogation. Two other accused who were arrested yesterday were produced before a court in Pune and shifted to Delhi after transit remand.
Searches Conducted Across Six Locations
In the last 24 hours, the CBI also conducted searches at six locations across the country. The agency said it seized several incriminating documents, laptops, bank statements and mobile phones during the searches.
The arrests and recoveries form part of the continuing investigation into the alleged leak of Biology questions for NEET-UG 2026. Further interrogation of the accused is expected to focus on the flow of question papers, the role of intermediaries and possible links between candidates and those involved in the examination process.
