NEW DELHI — Central Bureau of Investigation investigators have detailed the systemic security lapses and covert operations that facilitated the leakage of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test question paper. According to the final report submitted before a designated fast-track court in Delhi, three subject experts contracted by the National Testing Agency—PV Kulkarni for Chemistry, Manisha Sanjay Havaldar for Physics, and Manisha Gurunath Mandhare for Botany and Zoology—served as the primary source of the breach. The agency noted that the experts took advantage of inadequate surveillance and the absence of physical frisking inside the NTA’s confidential translation unit to extract questions prior to the examination.
The chargesheet outlines how the three experts extracted confidential material during the translation, back-translation, and proofreading phases. PV Kulkarni, identified as the key mastermind, allegedly utilized plain rough sheets provided inside the confidential section to jot down abbreviated versions of all 135 Chemistry questions alongside optional answers on small chits. He memorized simpler questions and reconstructed them at his hotel room before conducting unauthorized revision sessions for prospective candidates in Pune. Similarly, Manisha Mandhare cross-referenced questions with NCERT textbooks upon returning to her lodging, marking relevant passages to dictate to students, while Manisha Havaldar noted down Physics questions to share with private coaching operators.
Forensic evidence compiled by the Government Examiner of Questioned Documents confirmed that handwriting on multiple seized question sets matched the penmanship of the accused experts. Digital forensics and audio recordings recovered from intermediaries further revealed structured financial negotiations, with question sets priced between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 12 lakh per candidate. The leaked material moved through a network of middlemen, including coaching institute directors and facilitators across Maharashtra, Haryana, and Rajasthan, who collected blank cheques and educational documents from candidates as security before delivering the leaked content via digital files and physical printouts.
