The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Manisha Gurunath Mandhare in Delhi on Saturday for her alleged role in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak [1].
The arrest marks a significant escalation in the probe into the integrity of India's medical entrance exams. Because Mandhare served as an expert for the National Testing Agency, the case suggests a breach of trust at the highest levels of exam preparation.
Mandhare is a senior botany and biology lecturer from Pune, Maharashtra [1]. Investigators identified her as a mastermind who allegedly dictated leaked exam questions to students in exchange for money [2]. This scheme allowed certain candidates to gain an unfair advantage by receiving specific questions before the official test date.
The CBI's operation in Delhi led to her detention [1]. While some reports indicate she was initially held for questioning before being formally arrested, the agency has now processed her as a primary suspect [1].
Mandhare's position as an NTA expert provided her with the access necessary to compromise the examination process [2]. The agency had appointed her as a member of a paper-setting panel, a role that requires strict confidentiality, and ethical standards [3].
This latest action brings the total number of arrests in the NEET-UG 2026 investigation to nine [1]. The CBI continues to trace the financial trail to determine how many students paid for the leaked materials and who else may have been involved in the distribution network [2].
The investigation is now focusing on the wider network of conduits between the paper-setting panels and the coaching centers in Pune and Delhi [1].
“The CBI arrested Manisha Gurunath Mandhare in Delhi on Saturday.”
The arrest of a government-appointed expert highlights a systemic vulnerability in the National Testing Agency's vetting process. By placing a subject matter expert in a position to both set and leak the exam, the agency created a single point of failure that compromised the meritocracy of the medical entrance process.
