This was submitted by the agency to a local court on Sunday while seeking custodial interrogation of Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a senior botany teacher from Pune, and a co-accused in the case.
The court recorded CBI counsel’s submission in its order stating that CBI seeks Mandhare’s custody “to unearth the larger conspiracy and source of the leaked NEET-UG 2026 question paper”. The agency submitted that Mandhare needs to be taken to various parts of the country to “identify and apprehend the co-accused to recover and analyse the digital devices and evidence and financial trail connected to NEET-UG 2026”.
CBI counsel contended that the “entire NTA process” and alleged involvement of NTA officials behind the leak is under CBI scanner. Underlining the “larger conspiracy” in this case, the agency submitted that other members of “this syndicate” need to be identified and arrested.
“There is a larger conspiracy angle present in the case and as per CBI several other accused, who are active members of this syndicate, are yet to be identified and arrested,” reads the court order. The court also recorded CBI’s submission that there is an “organised paper leak gang” involved in the instant case. Observing that “the investigation is at its very initial and crucial stage” the court remanded Mandhare to 14 days CBI custody.
CBI has alleged that Mandhare (57) conspired with Kulkarni and Manisha Waghmare. “She was one of the experts on the panel of NTA and involved in the process of setting question papers during which she gained access to the final question sets of NEET-UG 2026 which she subsequently leaked to students for monetary gain,” the agency submitted.
CBI sought 14 days custodial interrogation of Mandhare “to unearth the larger conspiracy and source” of the leaked question paper. The agency alleged that Mandhare provided examination-related questions/content to select students in consideration of substantial money.In its remand paper filed earlier this week, CBI had maintained that in April, Mangilal Biwal, a co-accused from Jaipur, had approached Shubham of Nashik for arranging question papers before the exam for his younger son for ₹10-12 lakh who in turn informed Yash Yadav, a co-accused.
On April 29, Shubham asked Yash Yadav to arrange original class 10 and 12 documents, NEET roll number details and a cheque from Mangilal as security deposit. On April 29, Shubham allegedly informed Yash Yadav that he would provide leaked question papers of Physics, Chemistry and Biology having 500-600 questions ensuring good marks and admission in reputed medical colleges. Another co-accused Dhananjay Lokhande, known to Shubham, collected NEET examination material for 2026 from co-accused Manisha Waghmare, Pune.
He received the leaked paper from Waghmare and transmitted it to Shubham. CBI claims to have recovered the WhatsApp chats of Yash Yadav with Shubham from the mobile phone of Yash Yadav. Shubham deleted the incriminating chat but was seized for forensic examination, the agency told the court. It is alleged that Yash Yadav had circulated the question paper to the co-accused for monetary gains.
