The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday said it has identified and arrested the alleged kingpin behind the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, a development that could become one of the biggest breakthroughs in the investigation so far. According to the CBI, the investigation revealed that during the last week of April 2026, PV Kulkarni, along with another accused identified as Manisha Waghmare, allegedly organised special coaching classes for selected students at his residence in Pune. Waghmare was arrested by the agency on May 14.
Who is PV Kulkarni?
According to the CBI, the accused has been identified as P V Kulkarni, a Chemistry lecturer associated with the examination process on behalf of the National Testing Agency. Investigators claimed Kulkarni allegedly had access to the NEET-UG 2026 question papers and played a central role in leaking the Chemistry section of the exam before it was conducted on May 3, 2026. The agency said the accused was arrested in Pune after extensive interrogation. Kulkarni originally belongs to Latur and is now being questioned further as the CBI attempts to uncover the complete network behind the NEET paper leak. Officials also confirmed that the investigation has already identified alleged middlemen who reportedly collected lakhs of rupees from students for access to leaked questions and special coaching sessions.
“During these coaching sessions, he dictated questions along with options and correct answers. The questions handwritten by students in their notebooks exactly matched the actual Chemistry paper of the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3, 2026,” the CBI said.
Agency says leaked Chemistry questions matched actual exam paper
The alleged discovery of matching handwritten questions has now become one of the strongest pieces of evidence in the NEET investigation. Officials said students attending the coaching sessions reportedly wrote down questions exactly as they later appeared in the final examination paper, including answer options and correct responses.
The CBI believes this points towards direct access to confidential NEET examination material before the exam date. Investigators are now conducting detailed forensic and technical analysis of the seized evidence to understand how the paper was accessed, shared and distributed among students and intermediaries.
Raids conducted across multiple cities as probe expands rapidly
The agency further revealed that searches were carried out at several locations across the country within the last 24 hours. During the raids, investigators seized multiple incriminating documents, electronic gadgets and mobile phones linked to the case.
The NEET paper leak case was officially registered by the CBI on May 12, 2026, after the Department of Higher Education under the Union Education Ministry filed a written complaint regarding the alleged examination leak. Immediately after registering the case, the CBI formed special investigation teams and launched coordinated raids across different cities.
Seven accused arrested so far from multiple states
According to the agency, a total of seven accused have so far been arrested from Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune and Ahilyanagar in connection with the NEET case. Out of these, five accused have already been produced before a court and sent to seven days of police custody for detailed interrogation.
The remaining two accused who were arrested on Thursday are currently being produced before a court in Pune for transit remand before being shifted to Delhi. Officials said the investigation is continuing and more arrests are possible as fresh evidence emerges from digital and forensic analysis.
Middlemen allegedly charged lakhs from students for leaked access
The CBI said its investigation has already identified the alleged source of the Chemistry paper leak along with middlemen who allegedly mobilised students after collecting huge amounts of money. These students were reportedly brought into special coaching sessions where the leaked NEET question bank was discussed in advance.
Officials believe the network may be larger than initially suspected and are now examining communication records, financial transactions and electronic devices seized during the raids. The agency has maintained that the NEET investigation remains active and further action will follow based on the evidence collected so far.
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
