The arrest of a retired Chemistry lecturer from Maharashtra has become the biggest breakthrough yet in the massive NEET-UG 2026 paper leak scandal that forced the cancellation of one of India's most competitive medical entrance examinations.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has identified Pune-based academic PV Kulkarni as the alleged 'kingpin' of the leak operation, accusing him of illegally sharing confidential questions with select aspirants before the examination was held on May 3.
According to investigators, Kulkarni had insider access to the examination system because he had worked with the National Testing Agency (NTA) as part of the panel involved in preparing NEET question papers over the years.
The agency believes this access allowed him to obtain confidential questions well before the exam date.
The CBI said Kulkarni conducted secret coaching sessions at his residence in Pune during the final week of April.
During these sessions, he allegedly dictated questions, answer options, and correct responses to students who wrote them down manually in notebooks. Officials claim the handwritten material recovered during the probe matched the actual NEET-UG 2026 paper almost exactly.
Secret coaching sessions under scanner
The agency has also arrested Kulkarni's alleged associate, Manisha Waghmare, who investigators believe helped coordinate the operation and identify students willing to pay for access to the leaked material.
The CBI suspects a larger organised network involving middlemen, coaching contacts, and candidates across multiple states.
Investigators say the leaked paper was circulated through handwritten notes, scanned copies, and courier channels before reaching aspirants in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Haryana.
Early findings suggest some candidates may have paid several lakhs of rupees for what was described as "special guidance" or "guess papers".
The case first exploded after complaints emerged that several questions in the actual NEET paper were identical to material distributed in advance by certain coaching-linked groups.
A parent in Maharashtra also alleged that mock tests circulated by a coaching institute closely resembled the final examination paper, triggering wider scrutiny.
Nationwide crackdown and political heat
The CBI has already arrested multiple accused from Jaipur, Nashik, Gurugram, Pune, and Ahilyanagar as part of its nationwide investigation.
Raids have been conducted across several cities, with forensic teams examining mobile phones, handwritten notes, scanned documents, and financial transactions.
The controversy led the NTA to cancel NEET-UG 2026 amid mounting outrage from students and parents. More than 22 lakh aspirants had appeared for the examination.
The Union government later handed the probe to the CBI, while Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that NEET would shift to a computer-based format from next year to improve security and reduce the risk of future leaks.
The investigation is now focusing on whether more insiders linked to the examination system or the coaching industry were involved in the conspiracy. Officials say additional arrests are likely as the agency tracks the full chain through which the paper was leaked and distributed nationwide.