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Nine people, including Botany teacher Manisha Mandhare, have been arrested by the CBI in connection with the NEET paper leak. Mandhare allegedly conspired to leak exam content for financial gain. The court has remanded her to 14 days of custody for further investigation into a larger conspiracy.
Delhi Police detain members of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) during a protest against Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak at Teen Murti Circle in New Delhi, India, on Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Photo by Raj K Raj / Hindustan Times)(RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday reiterated his demand that Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, should be removed from his post for ‘failing repeatedly.’ In a post on X, the Congress leader also questioned the silence of PM Modi on the NEET paper leak.
"NEET 2024: Paper leaked. Exam not cancelled. Minister did not resign. CBI set up an investigation. A committee was formed. NEET 2026: Paper leaked. Exam cancelled. Minister still did not resign. CBI is investigating again. Another committee will be formed," Gandhi said in his social media post.
Rahul questions Modi's silence
Questioning the PM’s silence, the LoP also sought answers for why “paper leaks are happening repeatedly” and why the Education Minister, who keeps failing repeatedly, is not dismissed.”
NEET paper leak
Over the past few days, Gandhi has been attacking PM Modi and demanding the resignation of Pradhan following the NEET paper leak controversy, which resulted in the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelling the exam, which was held on May 3.
On Saturday, Gandhi demanded that the prime minister should immediately sack Pradhan or take responsibility himself.
"The whole country knows that two days before NEET, its question paper was being distributed on WhatsApp. Dharmendra Pradhan ji says he has nothing to do with the matter. The (Parliamentary) Committee had made recommendations but he put it in the dustbin on the pretext that opposition people were on the committee and that it was of no use," Gandhi said in a video statement.
Nine arrested so far
A total of nine people, including Manisha Mandhare, a Botany teacher from Pune appointed by the NTA as an exam expert, and PV Kulkarni, a retired chemistry lecturer from the city, have been arrested by the CBI in connection with the ongoing nationwide probe into the NEET paper leak.
A court in Delhi on Sunday remanded Mandhare, to 14 days of CBI custody in connection with the NEET UG Exam Paper leak case.
Mandhare allegedly had conspired with other co-accused persons, including Manisha Waghmare and Prahlad Vittal Rao Kulkarni to leak questions and content to students for a substantial monetary gain.
The CBI told the court that Waghmare, in conspiracy with the other accused person and "with the public servant associated with National Testing Agency (NTA)", had received the question papers and answers on April 27.
While granting the custody, the court noted that, allegedly, there is a larger conspiracy angle present in this case, and as per CBI, several other accused persons who are the active members of this syndicate are yet to be identified and arrested, and for this purpose, the custodial interrogation of the accused is sought for 14 days.
"Considering the facts and circumstances and nature of the offence and the prayer made in the present application, the application is allowed, and the accused Manisha Gurunath Mandhare is remanded to police custody for 14 days, subject to her medical examination. Let her be produced before the concerned court on 30.05.2026," Special Judge Kujur ordered on May 17.
Following the cancellation of the NEET UG 2026, the NAT has announced that the re-examination will be held on Sunday, June 21.
About the Author
Bobins Vayalil Abraham
Bobins loves telling the human side of all stories, from the intersection of geopolitics, international relations, and conflicts around the world. In his nearly one-and-a-half-decade career as a journalist, Bobins has covered South Asia, the Middle East, and North America, from elections to mass protests and conflicts. <br> Bobins has also done extensive reporting on environmental issues, climate change, and sustainability, focusing on solutions and people working to make the planet a better place to live. <br> In 2018, Bobins was awarded by Times Internet for the impact of his story on Delhi tree cuttings. Bobins also loves telling the stories of Indian startups and the journey of their founders. <br> Total Years of Experience: 14 <br> Years of experience at LM: Bobins has been a part of Live Mint since February 2026 <br> Interests: When he is not tracking conflicts, Bobins loves to cook, travel across India, click photos, and watch documentaries on history. Past Experience: Before joining Live Mint, Bobins worked with The Indian Express, where he led the Global Breaking News coverage, Indiatimes, where he led the news team, covering everything trending, ANI, where the focus of his coverage was South Asia, and NBS News. <br> Current Role: Bobins is currently working as an Assistant Editor at Live Mint.
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