New Delhi: In a major breakthrough within the ongoing NEET-UG 2026 paper leak investigation, the Central Bureau of Investigation produced Botany lecturer Manisha Mandhare before Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court. The court remanded Mandhare, who represents the ninth high-profile arrest in the multi-state scandal, to 14 days of judicial custody following extensive interrogation at the central agency’s headquarters.
According to investigative findings, Mandhare, a biology lecturer based in Pune, managed to secure a position on the National Testing Agency’s official paper-setting committee. Exploiting her insider access to the upcoming examination questionnaire, she allegedly organized highly classified pre-exam coaching sessions in Pune, where enrolled students were instructed to copy down exact Botany and Zoology questions slated for the test. Mandhare operated the ring alongside Manisha Waghmare, a Pune-based beautician arrested by federal agents on May 14, who served as a primary scout to recruit wealthy medical aspirants and handle cash transactions worth millions of rupees. Mandhare’s exposure directly followed the custodial interrogation of Waghmare and the suspected mastermind, PV Kulkarni—a Chemistry professor from Latur with long-term ties to NTA panels who reportedly held similar unauthorized preview sessions in late April.
The sweeping crackdown has triggered parallel administrative and legal actions on a national scale. Prompted by systemic vulnerabilities, the Central Government executed a major administrative overhaul within the NTA, appointing IRS officer Akash Jain and Aditya Rajendra Bhojgadhia as Joint Directors, alongside Anuja Bapat and Ruchita Vij as Joint Secretaries for five-year tenures. Meanwhile, the legal fallout has reached the apex court, with the United Doctors Front filing a comprehensive writ petition in the Supreme Court. Drafted by Advocates Ritu Reniwal and Mahendra Kumawat, the petition demands the complete dissolution of the NTA in favor of a statutory testing body enacted directly by Parliament, alongside a court-monitored committee to oversee upcoming examinations. The high-stakes NEET-UG exam, originally attempted by 2.3 million candidates across 551 domestic cities and 14 international centers on May 3, was officially cancelled on May 12 following systemic irregularities, with a nationwide re-examination officially scheduled for June 21, 2026.
