Arrested just 40 days before retirement: Pune principal lands in NEET leak probe

New Delhi: Manisha Sanjay Havaldar, principal of Seth Hiralal Saraf Prashala in Pune, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the ongoing NEET-UG 2026 paper leak investigation. The development has drawn major attention because Havaldar was scheduled to retire on June 30, 2026, barely 40 days after her arrest.

The case is part of a wider investigation into alleged irregularities and paper leaks linked to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG), one of India’s most competitive medical entrance examinations conducted for admission to undergraduate medical courses across the country.

School suspends principal after arrest

Following the CBI action, Vidya Prasarini Sabha, the trust that runs the school, announced Havaldar’s immediate suspension. The institution also formed a five-member internal committee to investigate the matter independently.

VPS secretary Satish Gavali said the institution had no prior knowledge of any NEET-related activity involving the principal or the school. He noted that this was the first such controversy associated with the institution in its 102-year history.

According to officials, neither government authorities nor examination agencies had informed the school management about any confidential NEET or National Testing Agency-related operations linked to the institution.

Who is Manisha Havaldar?

According to school authorities, Havaldar joined the institution in 1992 as an assistant teacher after completing her MSc and BEd qualifications. Over the years, she built a reputation as an academically strong and disciplined educator.

She was promoted as principal in 2024 after serving the institution for more than three decades. Colleagues described her as cooperative, talented and professional, saying the allegations came as a major shock to the staff.

Teachers at the school reportedly said nobody had imagined that a senior educator nearing retirement could become linked to such a serious criminal investigation.

CBI raids and seizure of documents

On Friday morning, teams from the CBI reportedly arrived at Havaldar’s residence in Pune and questioned her for several hours. At the same time, another team searched school premises and examined official files, computers and administrative documents.

Investigators later seized certain documents and computer hard disks for forensic examination as part of the expanding probe into the alleged paper leak network.

Sources quoted in reports said investigators are trying to determine whether confidential exam-related information was illegally accessed, shared or distributed ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 examination.

Background of the NEET controversy

The NEET examination has repeatedly faced controversy in recent years over allegations of paper leaks, unfair practices and exam-related irregularities. The issue has sparked political debates and public outrage because lakhs of students across India depend on the exam for admission into medical colleges.

The latest investigation has once again raised concerns about the security of highly competitive entrance examinations and the possible involvement of educational institutions or officials in organised malpractice networks.

The arrest of a principal from a reputed Pune institution has intensified scrutiny on how examination materials are handled and whether existing safeguards are sufficient to prevent leaks and corruption.