New Delhi: The CBI said Friday it has arrested a retired Pune lecturer who worked on behalf of the National Testing Agency and was the “source” of the NEET UG 2026 paper leaks.
P V Kulkarni, a former chemistry lecturer at Dayanand Junior College in Latur who retired in 2022 23 and later moved to Pune, was taken into custody after investigators found he had access to question papers and organised special coaching sessions at his Pune residence in late April, a CBI spokesperson said. Students allegedly paid large sums to attend those sessions, where Kulkarni dictated leaked questions and answers that later matched the NEET paper administered on May 3.
The CBI said Kulkarni organised the sessions with the help of Manisha Waghmare, who was also arrested in Pune. The agency registered a case on May 12 following a written complaint from the Department of Higher Education and carried out searches across the country, seizing documents, electronic devices and mobile phones.
So far seven people have been arrested from Jaipur, Gurgaon, Nashik, Pune and Ahliyanagar, the CBI said. Five have been produced before courts and remanded for police custody; transit remand was being sought for the other two.
Investigators also questioned Shivraj Motegaokar, who runs the Latur based RCC Coaching Classes chain, for about 11 hours on Thursday. Authorities are probing whether mock papers circulated at coaching centres matched questions that appeared on the NEET UG exam. The CBI has asked the Ministry of Education for a list of officials involved in preparing the question papers as the probe continues.