CBI arrests Pune chemistry professor in NEET paper leak case

The CBI on Friday said it has arrested a chemistry professor from Pune, whom it described as the “kingpin” behind the NEET exam paper leak case involving nearly 23 lakh students.

The agency identified the accused as PV Kulkarni, originally from Latur in Maharashtra.

Officials said he had access to the NEET question papers through his involvement in the examination process on behalf of the National Testing Agency and exploited that access to leak questions to students.

According to the CBI, Kulkarni also conducted private coaching sessions under the name “Raj Coaching Classes” at his residence in Pune. During one such session held in the last week of April, shortly before the May 3 NEET exam, he dictated questions, answer options, and correct responses to students, who wrote them down in notebooks.

Officials said many of those questions later matched the actual NEET paper verbatim when cross-checked by investigators. The agency said this helped establish that the leak originated from someone directly connected to the examination process.

Another accused, Manisha Waghmare, was arrested on Thursday. Officials said she operated a beauty parlour and lured students with promises of leaked exam papers and medical college admissions. She reportedly charged lakhs of rupees from students and directed them to Kulkarni.

The CBI said it has now made eight arrests in the case from Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, and Ahilyanagar.

The agency also conducted raids at multiple locations across the country over the past 24 hours. Investigators seized documents, electronic devices, and mobile phones that are undergoing forensic and technical analysis.

The CBI said it registered the case on Tuesday based on a complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education and formed special teams to investigate the matter.

Five accused were produced before a court on Thursday and remanded to seven days of custody.