The ‘Insider’ Behind NEET 2026 Leak: How CBI Zeroed In On Pune Retired Professor And His Secret Coaching

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Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested a retired chemistry professor from Maharashtra’s Latur in connection with the NEET UG 2026 paper leak case, identifying him as a key accused who allegedly had direct access to the examination paper preparation process. The accused, PV Kulkarni, had spent more than three decades in academia and was associated with the National Testing Agency as part of the panel involved in setting the NEET UG question paper. Investigators believe his role marks a major shift from previous paper leak cases, where outsiders breached the system at later stages of distribution.

How Paper Leak Took Place: Secret Coaching Sessions & Dictation

According to the CBI, Kulkarni first tried to sell the leaked paper locally but later expanded his network after failing to convince buyers about the authenticity of the questions.“In the last week of April, Kulkarni mobilised students, with the help of another accused named Manisha Waghmare, and conducted special coaching classes for them at his residence in Pune,” a CBI spokesperson said.Investigators alleged that Kulkarni dictated the questions along with multiple-choice options and correct answers during these sessions. “The questions were handwritten by students in their notebooks and have tallied exactly with the actual question paper of the exam held on May 3,” the agency added.

Coaching Centres, NTA Officials Under Scanner

The CBI has also widened its probe to examine others linked to the paper setting process, including professors, subject experts, and NTA officials who had access to the paper before it was sealed.Officials recently questioned the director of a Latur-based coaching institute with branches across Maharashtra. Searches were conducted at his residence and his cellphone was seized.Kulkarni is the eighth person arrested in the case. Co-accused Manisha Waghmare, who allegedly acted as an intermediary for Dhananjay Lokhande, had earlier been arrested along with six others. The CBI told a Delhi court that Lokhande’s custodial interrogation was necessary to identify “NTA officials involved in the paper leak”.