2 months ago
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In a large breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Pune-based chemistry lecturer P.V. Kulkarni, accusing him of being the kingpin down the NEET-UG 2026 insubstantial leak. The bureau has truthful acold arrested eight accused successful the case.
According to the agency, investigations revealed that Mr. Kulkarni had entree to the question papers arsenic helium was allegedly progressive successful the introspection process connected behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA). During the past week of April 2026, helium allegedly mobilised students with the assistance of co-accused Manisha Waghmare, a quality salon proprietor who was arrested by the CBI connected May 14.
The “kingpin” conducted peculiar coaching classes for the students astatine his residence successful Pune. During these sessions, helium allegedly dictated questions, reply options, and close responses, which students wrote down successful their notebooks. The questions reportedly matched precisely with those successful the existent NEET-UG 2026 introspection held connected May 3, the bureau said.
Mr. Kulkarni was arrested successful Pune aft a elaborate interrogation. He primitively belongs successful Maharashtra’s Latur.
“In the past 24 hours, the CBI has besides carried retired searches astatine respective locations crossed the state and seized respective incriminating documents, physics gadgets, and mobile phones. Detailed forensic and method investigation of the seized items is nether way,” an authoritative said.
The bureau had earlier arrested 7 accused persons, including Ms. Waghmare. The others were identified arsenic Dhananjay Lokhande from Ahilyanagar and Shubham Khairnar from Nashik successful Maharashtra; Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal, and Dinesh Biwal from Jaipur, Rajasthan; and Yash Yadav from Gurugram, Haryana.
Of them, 5 accused are presently successful CBI custody for interrogation. The remaining 2 are being produced earlier a tribunal successful Pune to unafraid transit remand for their transportation to Delhi for further proceedings.
The bureau registered the lawsuit connected May 12 pursuing a written ailment from the Department of Higher Education nether the Ministry of Education. Special teams were subsequently formed to prosecute leads and way down suspects.
“The probe truthful acold has revealed the root of the chemistry insubstantial leak arsenic good arsenic the relation of middlemen progressive successful mobilising students who paid respective lakhs of rupees to be the peculiar coaching classes wherever these question banks were dictated and discussed,” the bureau said.
The CBI has been moving successful coordination with the constabulary successful respective States, including Rajasthan and Maharashtra, to unearth the full web down the organisation of the “guess paper” that intimately matched the existent paper. It was circulated and sold mostly done encrypted messaging applications.
Following allegations of irregularities, the NTA had cancelled the NEET-UG trial and has present announced that it volition beryllium held again connected June 21.
