The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested a biology lecturer who was part of the National Testing Agency's (NTA) paper-setting committee for the 2026 NEET-UG entrance examination held on May 3, officials said.

The latest accused to be arrested has been identified as Manisha Mandhare, a Botany professor. She has been described by the CBI as “another mastermind who was the source for leak of NEET-UG 2026 Examination Biology questions.”

The arrest marks a major escalation in the widening NEET-UG paper leak scandal that forced the cancellation of one of India’s biggest medical entrance examinations earlier this month.

Investigators believe Mandhare played a key role in leaking Biology-related questions, particularly Botany and Zoology sections, to select candidates before the examination.

According to officials, Mandhare was arrested after sustained questioning of alleged kingpin PV Kulkarni, the retired Chemistry professor from Pune, who was earlier held by the CBI in connection with the case.

Inputs gathered from other arrested accused also reportedly pointed investigators towards her involvement.

Mandhare is associated with Modern College of Arts, Science, and Commerce in Pune and has allegedly been involved with the NTA’s NEET paper-setting process for the past five to six years.

Sources familiar with the investigation said she had direct access to confidential question-setting material linked to the Biology section of NEET-UG 2026.

The CBI suspects that Mandhare and Kulkarni used their insider positions within the paper-setting mechanism to leak examination content to a select group of aspirants through a covert network operating out of Maharashtra.

Investigators are probing whether the leaked material was circulated through private coaching sessions, handwritten notes and encrypted digital channels before the exam.

Earlier this week, the agency alleged that Kulkarni conducted secret coaching sessions at his residence in Pune, where he dictated questions and correct answers to students.

The questions allegedly matched the actual NEET-UG 2026 paper almost exactly. Officials believe Mandhare may have supplied the Biology section used during those sessions.

The paper leak controversy erupted after complaints surfaced from parents and students claiming that several questions in the actual examination closely resembled material distributed by certain coaching-linked groups before the exam.

A preliminary probe later uncovered suspicious similarities between handwritten notes recovered from aspirants and the final NEET paper.

The scandal triggered outrage across the country, eventually forcing the National Testing Agency to cancel the examination amid mounting pressure from students, parents and opposition parties.

More than 22 lakh candidates had appeared for the highly competitive medical entrance test.

The CBI has so far arrested multiple accused from Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Haryana as part of its nationwide investigation into the alleged leak network.

Raids have been conducted in Pune, Nashik, Jaipur and Gurugram, with officials examining phones, financial transactions, digital records and coaching institute links.

The probe is now focused on identifying additional insiders within the examination ecosystem who may have helped leak confidential papers or facilitated access to candidates.

Investigators believe more arrests are likely in the coming days as the agency pieces together the full extent of the organised racket behind the NEET-UG 2026 leak.