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CBI arrests second NTA panel insider Manisha Mandhare in NEET UG 2026 paper leak case after PV Kulkarni
India
Published on 16 May 2026
She allegedly coached leaked Botany and Zoology questions
In a major step in the NEET UG 2026 paper leak probe, the CBI has arrested Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a senior woman biology lecturer from Pune and an expert on the NTA question-setting panel. Sources say she was detained first for interrogation before formal arrest. The agency claims she had complete access to the Botany and Zoology sections and allegedly mobilised candidates through special coaching at her residence, with questions reportedly matching those that appeared in the May 3 exam. The arrest follows PV Kulkarni’s detention as “kingpin.”
- CBI arrested Pune botany teacher Manisha Gurunath Mandhare on May 16, 2026.
- She is the second NTA panel member detained in the NEET UG 2026 leak case.
- CBI says she had full access to Botany and Zoology question sections.
- Investigators allege she ran coaching in Pune and dictated matched questions from textbooks.
- CBI detained chemistry professor PV Kulkarni a day earlier, calling him the “kingpin.”
- Raids and searches across locations seized documents, laptops, bank records, and phones.
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This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
Republic