Pune's Modern College Suspends Manisha Mandhare After Her Arrest In NEET Paper Leak Case
Pune's Modern College Suspends Manisha Mandhare After Her Arrest In NEET Paper Leak Case Published By, Last Updated: May 18, 2026, 18:56 IST Manisha Mandhare
Pune's Modern College Suspends Manisha Mandhare After Her Arrest In NEET Paper Leak Case Published By, Last Updated: May 18, 2026, 18:56 IST Manisha Mandhare, a senior Botany teacher from Maharashtra, was taken into custody in Delhi on May 16 in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak. Rapid Read Investigators believe Mandhare had been involved in the NEET paper-setting process for several years. (Image: Facebook) The administration of Pune’s Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce has suspended botany teacher Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, after she was named as one of the key accused in the NEET paper leak case. Mandhare, a senior Botany teacher from Maharashtra, was taken into custody in Delhi on May 16 after being grilled by the investigators. The CBI alleged that she had access to confidential Botany and Zoology papers through her role as an expert associated with the Testing Agency (NTA).
The Progressive Education Society wrote in a statement that Mandhare had been serving at the Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce since 2002 and has been teaching Biology to students of Classes 11 and 12 for the past 24 years. Pune College Distances Itself From NEET Row The college administration distanced itself from the NEET paper leak, saying Mandhare had been appointed through the NTA for confidential work related to the examination. It said all communication and instructions were exchanged directly between her and concerned authorities. ALSO READ: NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak: Pune Lecturer Manisha Mandhare Sent To 14-Day CBI Custody On her arrest, the college said, “The matter is extremely serious, unfortunate, and condemnable. Incidents of this nature damage the reputation of the education sector." It said an urgent meeting of the governing body was convened on Monday, after which a decision was taken to suspend Mandhare from service with effect from the date of her arrest.
Who Is Manisha Mandhare? Mandhare was a botany teacher at the Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Pune’s Shivajinagar locality and had been involved in the NEET paper-setting process for several years. The CBI alleges that she played a role in preparing Botany and Zoology questions for the NEET UG 2026 examination while continuing to work at the Pune college. Officials suspect that this position enabled her to access sensitive exam content before the medical entrance test was conducted on May 3. According to investigators, Mandhare allegedly worked with co-accused Manisha Wagmare, who had already been arrested, to identify NEET aspirants interested in obtaining likely exam questions. With Mandhare’s arrest, the total number of people arrested in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case has risen to nine. A Delhi court on Saturday sent Mandhare to 14 days of CBI custody.
The CBI told the court that Mandhare’s custodial interrogation was necessary to recover incriminating material and uncover the wider network allegedly linked to the organised paper leak racket. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: May 18, 2026, 18:55 IST News india Pune's Modern College Suspends Manisha Mandhare After Her Arrest In NEET Paper Leak Case Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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