NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak: Full List Of Arrests, Main Accused And Latest CBI Findings | What To Know

Ten people are now in custody over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, with the Central Bureau of Investigation tracking how the medical entrance question paper travelled across states and who profited from it. The latest arrest is Latur-based coaching operator Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, as anger over the leak sparks protests against the National Testing Agency.

Members of the All India Students' Association gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi after the NEET-UG 2026 exam was cancelled. Protesters raised slogans against the National Testing Agency, accusing officials of failing to protect the integrity of the test and demanding transparency in the CBI investigation and future examination processes.

NEET-UG 2026 paper leak: Coaching network and alleged organised syndicate

CBI officers said Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, who runs Renukai Career Centre in Latur, was arrested on Monday. The institute, also called RCC or "Motegaonkar Sir's classes", has for around twenty years prepared students across Maharashtra for medical and engineering entrance tests. Officials earlier described Motegaonkar as "a member of an organised syndicate involved in the paper leak".

Investigators claimed they recovered the NEET-UG 2026 question paper from Motegaonkar's mobile phone. According to officials, the paper reached Motegaonkar on April 23, which is ten days before candidates took the exam on May 3. The CBI is now trying to establish who sent this file to Motegaonkar and how many students benefited from it.

NEET-UG 2026 paper leak: Allegations against the Biwal family network

A key part of the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak inquiry focuses on Jaipur-based BJP worker Dinesh Biwal and relatives. The CBI and Rajasthan Special Operations Group are examining the family's long association with Haryana resident and alleged paper supplier Yash Yadav, and how several members obtained medical college seats despite modest academic records.

Last week, the CBI arrested three members of this family: Dinesh Biwal, Dinesh's brother Mangilal, and Mangilal's son Vikas. Investigators stated that Mangilal received the leaked NEET question paper from Yash Yadav on April 29 through Telegram. Officials are checking digital traces to verify how many copies were then circulated.

According to investigators, Mangilal printed the leaked paper and passed hard copies to his son Aman, Dinesh's son Rishi, and their elder brother Ghanshyam's daughter, Gunjan. All three appeared for the NEET-UG 2026 examination on May 3. The family had earlier shifted from Jamwa Ramgarh in Jaipur district to Sikar nearly five years ago to coach seven children for NEET.

NEET-UG 2026 paper leak: Alleged masterminds Kulkarni and Mandhare

The CBI's first major breakthrough in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case came with the arrest of retired chemistry lecturer PV Kulkarni in Pune. Originally from Latur, Kulkarni was working in Pune when detained. Investigators described Kulkarni as a "mastermind" and "kingpin" who allegedly used links with the National Testing Agency to access confidential material.

Officials alleged that Kulkarni, who was connected with the NEET examination process through the National Testing Agency, received sensitive questions and answers in advance. During special coaching sessions, Kulkarni is accused of sharing questions, multiple-choice options and correct answers with selected students, who wrote them down in notebooks during these classes.

According to an earlier HT report cited by investigators, students' notes from Kulkarni's sessions later "exactly tallied" with the original NEET-UG 2026 question paper. This apparent match strengthened the suspicion that the exam paper had leaked before the test. The CBI is assessing whether these notes were further distributed through intermediaries in other cities.

The second person named as a "mastermind" in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak investigation is Pune-based Botany teacher Manisha Gurunath Mandhare. Mandhare served on the NTA panel involved in preparing medical entrance question papers, which, according to the CBI, gave full access to Botany and Zoology sections of the final examination paper.

Investigators alleged that Mandhare discussed several Botany and Zoology questions during coaching sessions and instructed students to copy them into notebooks and mark identical questions in textbooks. Officials believe Mandhare and Kulkarni coordinated these classes, turning regular coaching into a targeted exercise for students ready to pay for assured scores in NEET.

NEET-UG 2026 paper leak: Role of local agents and money trail

The CBI has also focused on the network that allegedly connected aspiring candidates and parents with those holding the leaked NEET-UG 2026 paper. Pune resident Manisha Waghmare, who runs a beauty parlour, was arrested on May 14. Waghmare is suspected of working as a local agent for the coaching network operated by Kulkarni and Mandhare.

Investigators said Waghmare's role was to identify parents willing to spend large sums for guaranteed success in the highly competitive medical entrance test. Waghmare allegedly introduced such families to other accused members, including those handling leaked papers, in exchange for money. This link, officials claim, helped expand the leak from classrooms into multiple cities.

Police also arrested Dhananjay Lokhande from Ahilyanagar in Maharashtra for alleged involvement in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak operation. According to investigators, Waghmare connected parents and students to Lokhande. Officials claim Lokhande then acted as a contact point for those who could supply question papers in advance for a negotiated payment.

In Nashik, officers picked up twenty-seven-year-old BAMS student Shubham Khairnar from Indiranagar. Nashik police sources alleged that Lokhande sent Khairnar a packet with the NEET question paper. Khairnar is believed to have paid ₹10 lakh for this packet, suggesting a high premium attached to the leaked document.

During questioning, Khairnar allegedly admitted forwarding the NEET question paper electronically to a Gurugram-based contact in Haryana and receiving ₹15 lakh in return. Investigators said this contact was Gurugram resident Yash Yadav, who has since been arrested. The difference between the amount paid and received is being examined as possible profit.

Officials alleged that after getting the material from Khairnar, Yadav sold it to Jaipur resident Mangilal Biwal, also known as Mangilal Khatik, for ₹10 lakh. Yadav allegedly told buyers that nearly 150 questions would match the final paper. Investigators believe such assurances encouraged more parents to risk buying the leaked questions.

NEET-UG 2026 paper leak: Key accused, locations and alleged roles

The spread of the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case across several states has revealed an interlinked chain of alleged roles, from question paper access to student-level delivery. The table below summarises the main accused named so far, their locations as mentioned by investigators, and the specific allegations currently under CBI scrutiny.

With arrests spanning Maharashtra, Haryana and Rajasthan, the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak investigation has widened from individual suspects to what officials describe as an organised network. As the CBI pieces together digital records, coaching links and money flows, students affected by the cancelled exam await clarity on accountability and the future schedule for medical admissions.