CBI arrests Pune teacher over NEET-UG 2026 physics paper leak

The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Pune-based teacher as a key suspect in the leak of physics questions for the NEET-UG 2026 medical entrance examination, marking the eleventh arrest in a widening probe into a multi-state paper leak network.

The accused, Manisha Sanjay Havaldar, was arrested on Friday after interrogation. She is employed at Seth Hiralal Saraf Prashala in Pune and had been appointed by the National Testing Agency as an expert involved in the examination process, giving her access to confidential physics question papers. Investigators allege that during April 2026, she shared several physics questions with a co-accused, Manisha Mandhare, who was arrested earlier. The agency stated that the questions Havaldar allegedly shared matched those that later appeared in the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper sets.

The arrest is part of an investigation into an alleged organized syndicate involving educators, middlemen, and coaching center operatives. Officials describe a network where middlemen mobilized students who paid large sums, reportedly between two and five lakh rupees, to attend special coaching classes where leaked questions were shared. The CBI has...