Professors, A Beautician & Secret Classes: How Pune Became Ground Zero Of NEET 2026 Paper Leak
Professors, A Beautician & Secret Classes: How Pune Became Ground Zero Of NEET 2026 Paper Leak Published By, Last Updated: May 18, 2026, 15:27 IST
Professors, A Beautician & Secret Classes: How Pune Became Ground Zero Of NEET 2026 Paper Leak Published By, Last Updated: May 18, 2026, 15:27 IST Known as the ‘Oxford of the East’, Pune is now at the heart of the NEET 2026 leak probe involving professors, middlemen and secret coaching sessions Rapid Read The May 3 NEET-UG 2026 examination has been cancelled and a re-test is scheduled for June 21. The exam will also shift gradually to a computer-based format from 2027. (PTI) For decades, Pune has proudly carried the tag of the ‘Oxford of the East’ — a city packed with prestigious colleges, coaching centres and students chasing competitive exam dreams. Now, that same city finds itself at the centre of one of India’s biggest exam controversies. As the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) digs deeper into the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, Pune has emerged not merely as a location connected to the case, but as what investigators suspect was one of the operational hubs of the racket. The probe has so far uncovered an alleged network involving professors linked to the confidential paper-setting process, middlemen, coaching connections and students who allegedly paid lakhs for access to leaked questions. The Professor Who Allegedly Had Access To The Paper At the centre of the probe is retired chemistry professor PV Kulkarni. According to the CBI, Kulkarni was part of confidential examination-related work for the Testing Agency (NTA) and had access to NEET question papers. Investigators allege he used that access to leak chemistry questions before the May 3 examination. Kulkarni, who taught at Dayanand College in Latur for nearly three decades, had quietly remained connected to the NEET ecosystem even after retirement. He mentored students from both Pune and Latur, and reportedly conducted guidance sessions from his bungalow near Shivaji Chowk in Latur.
What has caught investigators’ attention are notebooks allegedly recovered from students who attended private sessions shortly before NEET. According to The Indian Express, the questions dictated during those sessions allegedly matched parts of the actual examination paper. Neighbours said they knew Kulkarni frequently travelled to Delhi for NTA-related work but never suspected anything unusual. “He was very quiet and mostly kept to himself," the Express quoted one of the neighbours as saying. Investigators now suspect Kulkarni’s long-standing position inside Maharashtra’s tightly connected coaching ecosystem may have helped the alleged network operate unnoticed. The Biology Lecturer Under Scanner A day after Kulkarni’s arrest, the CBI arrested another Pune-based academic, Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a Botany professor at the Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce. The agency has described her as one of the alleged masterminds behind the Biology paper leak. According to the CBI, Mandhare was appointed by the NTA as an expert and allegedly had access to Botany and Zoology question papers. Investigators claim she conducted special coaching sessions at her Pune residence in April, where students were allegedly made to note down questions and answers that later appeared in the actual exam. The allegations have stunned the college where she worked for over two decades. In a statement reported by news agency PTI, the institution said Mandhare had been teaching biology to Classes 11 and 12 students since 2002 and that the work assigned to her by the NTA was “completely confidential in nature". The college said it learned about her arrest through television reports and called the matter “serious, unfortunate and condemnable". It has now initiated disciplinary proceedings against her. Principal Nivedita Ekbote also told The Indian Express that the college had no role in the confidential paper-setting process because the NTA dealt directly with selected experts.
“She was a very normal teacher," Ekbote told the newspaper. According to investigators, Mandhare allegedly mobilised candidates through another Pune-based accused, named Manisha Waghmare, and charged lakhs of rupees for the sessions. The Beautician Who Became A Key Link Perhaps the most unusual figure in the case is 46-year-old Pune beautician Manisha Waghmare. According to The Indian Express, Waghmare ran a beauty parlour in Pune’s Sukhsagar Nagar and allegedly acted as a crucial connector between students, tuition networks and professors. Investigators believe she used existing contacts with students searching for tuition teachers to identify potential candidates willing to pay for leaked material. The CBI alleges Waghmare learned that Mandhare was involved in the paper-setting process and then helped build the network around her. She allegedly approached students, struck deals worth around Rs 10 lakh per candidate and coordinated with others accused in the case. The paper trail allegedly moved through multiple cities after that. Investigators claim Waghmare passed material to Ahilyanagar-based accused Dhananjay Lokhande, who allegedly shared it with Nashik-based counselling operator Shubham Khairnar. From there, the questions allegedly spread further through PDF files and messaging platforms. According to the probe, the network may have been operating almost like an underground admissions consultancy — only with leaked exam content replacing counselling packages. The CBI has told the court that the conspiracy appears far larger than initially believed and more arrests may follow. How The NEET Leak Allegedly Worked Investigators now suspect the operation was layered carefully. According to the probe, students were allegedly approached through coaching and tuition networks weeks before the exam. Select candidates were then invited to “special coaching sessions" in Pune and nearby locations. There, professors allegedly dictated questions, answers and probable topics while students copied them into notebooks. Some candidates allegedly paid anywhere between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 25 lakh.
The CBI believes different subjects may have been handled through separate channels to avoid detection — chemistry through one network, biology through another. Digital evidence seized so far reportedly includes chats, PDFs, handwritten notes, bank transaction details and electronic devices. The agency is now conducting forensic analysis to trace deleted communication and identify additional beneficiaries. So far, accused have been arrested from Pune, Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Jaipur, Gurugram and Delhi. The Leak That Triggered A Crisis The alleged leak first surfaced after suspicious ‘guess papers’ began circulating soon after the exam. According to The Times of India, a teacher from Rajasthan’s Sikar noticed that a PDF being shared among students closely resembled the actual NEET paper. That comparison reportedly helped investigators uncover the wider leak network. The May 3 NEET-UG 2026 examination has now been cancelled. A re-test is scheduled for June 21. The Centre has also announced plans to shift NEET gradually to a computer-based format from 2027. For lakhs of students preparing honestly for one of India’s toughest entrance exams, the scandal has once again raised uncomfortable questions about whether merit alone is enough in the country’s hyper-competitive coaching system. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: May 18, 2026, 15:27 IST News cities pune Professors, A Beautician & Secret Classes: How Pune Became Ground Zero Of NEET 2026 Paper Leak 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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