The NEET-UG 2026 paper leak created a nationwide controversy as students continue to protest, political parties blamed each other, and questions were raised about the future of one of India's biggest entrance exams, however, while much of the public debate has focused on the cancellation of the exam and the impact on students, the Central Bureau of Investigation investigation has shifted attention to another important question: Who allegedly leaked the paper, how was it done, and where does the investigation stand today?
According to the CBI, the alleged mastermind behind the Chemistry paper leak is P. V. Kulkarni, a retired Chemistry professor from Latur, Maharashtra and the agency has identified him as one of the key accused in the case and has accused him of misusing his role in the NEET paper-setting process.
Kulkarni taught Chemistry for many years at Dayanand College in Latur and later served as the college's principal, after retirement, he reportedly worked as a freelance lecturer for coaching institutes. The CBI says he was also working with the National Testing Agency on a contractual basis as a Chemistry expert and as part of this role, he allegedly became one of the experts involved in preparing the NEET-UG Chemistry question paper.
According to the CBI's investigation, Kulkarni allegedly used his access to the confidential Chemistry paper to leak questions before the examination. Investigators claim that during the last week of April 2026, days before the May 3 NEET examination, Kulkarni conducted special coaching sessions at his residence in Pune and during these sessions, he allegedly dictated Chemistry questions, answer choices and correct answers to selected students.
The CBI says students attending these sessions made handwritten notes, during the investigation, those notes were recovered and were found to match the actual Chemistry questions that appeared in the NEET-UG 2026 examination. This evidence forms an important part of the agency's case.
The investigation suggests that the leak was not carried out by one person alone. The CBI alleges that Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, director of the Latur-based RCC Coaching Institute, received the leaked Chemistry paper from Kulkarni and helped circulate it further and the coaching institute reportedly has multiple branches.
Another accused, Manisha Mandhare, is alleged to have played a major role in leaking the Biology paper, the investigation also names Manisha Havaldar in connection with the Physics paper and according to investigators, the network stretched across Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Haryana, the CBI arrested multiple accused as part of its probe and described the operation as an organised conspiracy involving private individuals.
Following allegations of the paper leak, the National Testing Agency cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination that had been held on May 3. This was the first time in the history of NEET that the entire examination was cancelled because of a paper leak and a fresh examination was later conducted for medical aspirants. More than 20 lakh candidates had to appear again, creating stress and uncertainty for students and their families.
According to media reports, the CBI has so far found no evidence of the involvement of government officials or NTA office-bearers in the paper leak and the agency's investigation points towards private individuals, particularly experts hired by the NTA to prepare examination papers and the proposed charge sheet is expected to focus on 13 private accused, including Kulkarni and other teachers allegedly linked to the leak. CBI is also examining thousands of documents, electronic devices and call records collected during the investigation.
Kulkarni was arrested by the CBI and brought under the jurisdiction of Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court, while co-accused Shivraj Motegaonkar was also arrested and the court has repeatedly extended the judicial custody of the accused while the investigation continues, most recently, the judicial custody of all 13 accused was extended until July 24, 2026, after the CBI informed the court that the probe was still underway and that further arrests were possible.
The CBI has said that the investigation is not yet complete and officials have indicated that they are still analysing evidence and preparing the final charge sheet.
