NEET paper leak row: Delhi court sends two accused to 10-day CBI custody

NEW DELHI: Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court connected Saturday granted 10 days custody of accused Manisha Waghmare and PV Kulkarni to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) amid the NEET-UG exam insubstantial leak enactment for further interrogation successful the case.The CBI told the tribunal that some accused were portion of a larger conspiracy involving the alleged obtaining and organisation of the leaked NEET-UG 2026 question paper.Earlier successful the day, some accused were produced earlier the tribunal aft the CBI sought 14 days custody, arguing that custodial interrogation was indispensable to uncover the wider web progressive successful the insubstantial leak racket. The tribunal had reserved its bid earlier aboriginal granting 10 days custody to the agency.

According to the CBI, Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a elder Botany teacher from Pune who was arrested earlier, had allegedly leaked Biology-related questions from the NEET-UG 2026 paper. Investigators claimed she was associated with the introspection process done the National Testing Agency (NTA) and had entree to Botany and Zoology question papers.Also Read | NEET insubstantial leak: CBI arrests Pune botany teacher who NTA appointed arsenic expertThe bureau alleged that Mandhare, on with Manisha Waghmare, mobilised prospective candidates and conducted peculiar coaching sessions astatine her Pune residence, wherever respective questions from the existent introspection were allegedly disclosed successful advance.

The CBI further informed the tribunal that retired chemistry prof PV Kulkarni, who was earlier arrested from Latur, Maharashtra, was besides associated with the NTA sheet progressive successful question insubstantial setting.The bureau has carried retired searches astatine aggregate locations crossed the state and seized laptops, mobile phones, slope statements and respective incriminating documents arsenic portion of the investigation.So far, 9 accused person been arrested from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune and Ahilyanagar successful transportation with the NEET-UG 2026 insubstantial leak case.The NEET-UG 2026 re-examination is scheduled to beryllium held connected June 21.