NEET paper leak: CBI nabs kingpin PV Kulkarni, a Pune professor who leaked questions in coaching class

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the alleged kingpin behind the NEET UG 2026 examination paper leak case. According to the agency, the accused has been identified as P V Kulkarni, a Chemistry lecturer who was involved in the examination process on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA) for years and had access to the question papers.

Investigation revealed that during the last week of April, Kulkarni allegedly gathered students who paid sums of money for the questions, with the help of another accused named Manisha Waghmare. Manisha was arrested by the agency on May 14. The accused reportedly conducted special coaching



classes for these selected students at his residence in Pune, Maharashtra.

Kulkarni originally hails from the Latur district.

During these classes, Kulkarni allegedly dictated questions, answer options and correct answers to the students, who wrote them down in their notebooks. According to the CBI, the handwritten questions exactly matched the actual NEET UG 2026 question paper conducted on May 3.

Seven accused persons have so far been arrested from Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune and Ahilyanagar in connection with the case. Kulkarni's arrest brings the total number of accused nabbed in the case to eight.