The CBI has made another breakthrough in the NEET UG 2026 paper leak case with the arrest of a physics teacher appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as an expert to set the question paper of the medical entrance exam, officials said on Friday.
Manisha Sanjay Havaldar, a staff member at Seth Hiralal Saraf Prashala in Pune, Maharashtra, allegedly leaked the physics questions of the NEET exam. Investigators claim that she had direct access to the Physics question papers due to her role in the examination process.
The agency revealed that Havaldar had been appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as an expert associated with the examination process.
During the investigation, it was found that she allegedly shared several Physics questions related to the exam with co-accused Manisha Mandhare in April 2026. Mandhare had already been arrested by the CBI on May 16.
With this, the CBI has arrested a total of 11 accused in connection with the NEET paper leak.
According to officials, the leaked questions shared by Havaldar were matched with the actual Physics paper used in the NEET UG 2026 examination, and similarities were found between the two.
Based on this evidence, the CBI considers her a crucial link in the larger paper leak network.
The CBI has also carried out raids at multiple locations across the country in connection with the case. During the searches, investigators seized several important documents, laptops, bank statements and mobile phones. These electronic devices and documents are now being sent for forensic examination to determine the scale of the network and identify all those involved in the operation.
The agency said the case was officially registered on May 12, 2026, following a written complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education. The complaint alleged that the NEET UG 2026 examination paper had been leaked ahead of the test.
Soon after the case was registered, the CBI formed special teams and launched coordinated operations in multiple cities across the country.
So far, a total of 11 accused have been arrested in the case from cities including Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, Latur and Ahilyanagar.
