NEET Paper Leak Mastermind Kulkarni Arrested

New Delhi: The CBI has achieved a major breakthrough in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case. The CBI has arrested the kingpin—the mastermind—behind the case. The accused has been identified as P.V. Kulkarni, a Chemistry lecturer who was associated with the NTA’s examination process. The CBI investigation has revealed a sensational detail: the prime accused, P.V. Kulkarni—originally a native of Latur—works as a Chemistry lecturer in Pune. He was involved in the examination process on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which granted him direct access to the question papers.

According to the investigative agency, during the last week of April 2026, Kulkarni—with the assistance of another accused, Manisha Waghmare—mobilized a group of students and conducted special coaching classes at his residence in Pune. The CBI had already arrested Manisha Waghmare on May 14, 2026. During these classes, he dictated the questions, their options, and the correct answers to the students. The students transcribed these questions into their notebooks. Subsequently, the investigation revealed that these very questions matched perfectly with the actual question paper of the NEET-UG examination held on May 3, 2026.

CBI Conducts Intensive Raids
It is noteworthy that the CBI has also conducted raids at multiple locations across the country over the past 24 hours. During these operations, several crucial documents, electronic devices, and mobile phones were seized. Currently, these seized materials are undergoing forensic and technical analysis. The CBI registered this case on May 12, 2026, based on a written complaint received from the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education. The complaint alleged an alleged paper leak regarding the NEET-UG 2026 examination. Immediately after the case was registered, special investigative teams were constituted, and raids were initiated across the nation.

Seven Other Accused Arrested Previously
Prior to this development, a total of seven other accused individuals had already been arrested in connection with this case from various locations, including Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, and Ahilyanagar. Five of these accused individuals have been produced in court and remanded to police custody for seven days. Meanwhile, two other accused persons, arrested on Thursday, are being produced before a Pune court for transit remand and will subsequently be brought to Delhi. The CBI states that the investigation has now uncovered the actual source of the Chemistry paper leak, as well as the intermediaries who, in exchange for lakhs of rupees, facilitated students’ access to these specialized coaching classes. The agency affirmed that a fair, comprehensive, and professional investigation into the matter will continue.