The Insider: How A Pune-Based Chemistry Lecturer Allegedly Became The Source Of The NEET Paper Leak

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has revealed that the original source of the leaked NEET-UG 2026 examination paper was a chemistry lecturer from Pune who had insider access to the exam creation process.

The arrest of P V Kulkarni, a domain expert from Latur who served on panels responsible for setting the NEET question paper, has provided investigators with a breakthrough in understanding how the sensitive material was compromise.

What Did CBI Say?

According to the CBI, Kulkarni was involved in the examination process on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which granted him legitimate access to the confidential question papers. Rather than maintaining the integrity of this privileged position, authorities allege that he exploited his access during the last week of April 2026.

With the assistance of an accomplice named Manisha Waghmare, who was arrested on May 14, Kulkarni allegedly mobilized students to attend special, clandestine coaching sessions held at his own residence in Pune.

The methodology of the alleged leak was surprisingly direct. During these private classes, the lecturer is accused of dictating specific questions, their multiple-choice options, and the correct answers to the attending students. The CBI has stated that the students manually wrote down this dictated information in their notebooks. When investigators compared these handwritten notes against the official NEET-UG 2026 paper that was administered on May 3, they reportedly found an exact match .

These sessions were not conducted out of goodwill; the investigation has revealed that students were required to pay several lakhs of rupees to gain entry to these coaching classes where the leaked question banks were discussed.

Chaos Beyong Pune

The chain of distribution extended beyond Pune, as the CBI has arrested a total of seven accused individuals from cities including Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, and Ahilyanagar.

This network allegedly involved middlemen who passed the paper down the line, with payments reaching up to Rs 10-12 lakh for the leaked material . The CBI continues to conduct searches and forensic analysis of electronic devices to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy.