Desk Correspondent , New Delhi — The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested Manisha Mandhare, a biology lecturer and NTA paper-setting committee member, identifying her as the second mastermind in the NEET-UG 2026 question paper leak. Her arrest follows Friday’s apprehension of retired chemistry lecturer P V Kulkarni, the alleged racket kingpin. Investigators revealed that two sets of leaked NTA question papers—one handwritten and one typed—were distributed to students for lakhs of rupees. This marks the first time a paper-leak probe has successfully traced the breach directly to its source within the National Testing Agency (NTA), putting the entire paper-setting committee under intense scrutiny.

The investigation uncovered a highly coordinated network spanning multiple states, resulting in eight arrests across Maharashtra, Haryana, and Rajasthan within four days. Operating similarly to Kulkarni, Mandhare allegedly dictated the leaked questions and exact answer choices to a selective group of paying students. In late April, Kulkarni used co-accused Manisha Waghmare to mobilize students at his Pune residence, dictating 500 to 600 questions capable of guaranteeing medical college admission. The CBI has confirmed that once the PDFs reached messaging platforms like Telegram, the circle of beneficiaries expanded rapidly.

The agency successfully mapped the digital chain of custody that facilitated the leak's widespread distribution. Nashik-based Shubham Khairnar reportedly connected with Gurugram-based Yash Yadav to broker a ₹10–12 lakh deal with Mangilal Biwal in Jaipur, who sought the papers for his son. Yadav forwarded the leaked Telegram PDFs to Biwal, who then distributed printed copies to family members, friends, and a local teacher. The CBI recovered extensive incriminating data from Biwal’s mobile phone and expects more arrests as they trace further beneficiaries.