The probe into the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak has intensified with the arrest of Pune-based teacher Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, whom the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) suspects to be one of the key accused in the Biology question paper leak. Mandhare, a senior Botany teacher from Maharashtra, was taken into custody in the national capital after being grilled by the investigators. According to the CBI, she had access to confidential Botany and Zoology papers through her role as an expert associated with the National Testing Agency (NTA), the autonomous testing body under the Ministry of Education responsible for conducting the NEET exam. Her arrest adds to the growing list of accused in the case, with the total number of arrests now reaching nine. The probe has uncovered what officials describe as a larger network involving insiders, middlemen and aspirants seeking unfair access to examination material. All About Manisha Mandhare According to a her bio on Facebook, Mandhare is employed at Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Pune’s Shivajinagar locality. Investigators believe she had been involved in the NEET paper-setting process for several years. The CBI alleges that she played a role in preparing Botany and Zoology questions for the NEET UG 2026 examination while continuing to work at the Pune college. Officials suspect that this position enabled her to access sensitive exam content before the medical entrance test was conducted on May 3. Alleged Leak Through Private Coaching Sessions According to investigators, Mandhare allegedly worked with co-accused Manisha Wagmare, who had already been arrested, to identify NEET aspirants interested in obtaining likely exam questions. The central probe agency claims that select students attended sessions conducted at Mandhare’s residence in Pune, where important Biology questions were allegedly dictated and discussed. Students were reportedly instructed to write them down in notebooks and highlight them in textbooks for preparation. Officials say a significant number of those questions later appeared in the actual NEET UG 2026 paper, raising suspicions of a coordinated leak. Investigators also suspect that large amounts of money were collected from candidates for access to these sessions. CBI Expands Search Operations The investigation has now spread across multiple cities and states. Over the past day, the CBI carried out raids at six locations and recovered laptops, mobile devices, bank documents and other materials believed to be linked to the case. Authorities said forensic examination of electronic data and financial transactions is currently underway. The CBI formally registered the case on May 12 following a complaint by the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education regarding the alleged leak of the NEET UG 2026 examination paper. So far, arrests have been made in Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune and Ahilyanagar. Several accused have already been remanded to police custody as investigators continue to probe the extent of the alleged examination scam.