Mobilising Students, Special Coaching: How Arrested NTA-Linked Prof PV Kulkarni Became 'Kingpin' Of NEET Paper Leak Case

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a Pune-based professor PV Kulkarni, accused of being the main conspirator or“Kingpin” in the NEET paper leak case, from his residence in Pune, according to officials on Friday.

The accused, Kulkarni, originally from Latur and a Chemistry expert, had served on the panel responsible for setting the NEET question paper for several years, officials said, as per a PTI report.

How Prof PV Kulkarni became 'kingpin' in NEET paper leak case

He was associated with the examination process conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA ), which gave him access to the question papers, Hindustan Times cited officials as saying.

Kuljarni mobilised students with the assistance of co-accused Manisha Waghmare in the last week of April, prior to the May 3 examination, which was later cancelled, CBI officials mentioned.

Officials said that, using his access to the question papers, he allegedly organised special coaching sessions at his home. During these classes, he is accused of dictating questions along with multiple-choice options and the correct answers.

Students wrote down the dictated content in their notebooks, which was later found to“exactly match” the NEET-UG 2026 question paper conducted on May 3, the official added, as per PTI.

Rouse Avenue court remands accused for six days of CBI custody

On Friday, the Rouse Avenue Court sent accused Dhananjay Lokhande to six days of custody with the CBI in connection with the NEET UG paper leak case. The agency said the custody was necessary to trace and arrest officials of the NTA allegedly involved in the wider conspiracy, according to ANI.

Also Read | NEET 2026 Cancellation: FAIMA moves SC over 'systematic failure' of NTA

While seeking remand, the CBI stated that Lokhande, also known to co-accused Shubham Madhukar Khairnar, had obtained NEET 2026 examination materials from another accused, Manisha Waghmare, a Pune resident.

According to the agency, Lokhande then forwarded the leaked question paper to Khairnar, who subsequently sent PDF copies of the paper to Yash Yadav via Telegram on April 24.

The CBI further stated that after receiving the NEET examination paper for 2026, Dhananjay Lokhande allegedly passed it on to co-accused Shubham Madhukar Khairnar. It was also reported that on April 24, Yash Yadav received PDF copies of the leaked question paper from Khairnar via Telegram.

The agency argued that Lokhande's custodial interrogation was necessary to recover digital devices, electronic records, and details of financial transactions, as well as to trace officials of the National Testing Agency allegedly involved in the leak and to uncover the wider conspiracy.

Also Read | Unveiling NEET 2026 paper leak racket: Full modus operandi at a glance

After hearing both sides, Special Judge Ajay Gupta granted six days of police custody to the CBI for Lokhande. The other five accused were also sent to CBI custody for seven days, and all accused are scheduled to be produced before the court on May 22.

During the hearing, CBI prosecutor Neetu Singh informed the court that Lokhande was arrested on May 13 in Ahilya Nagar, Maharashtra, and was later brought on a two-day transit remand granted by a court in Ahmednagar the same evening.

Opposing the remand, defence counsel Vikram Singh argued that neither the arrest memo was provided to the accused or his family, and alleged that signatures were taken on blank documents. He further claimed that custody was unnecessary as all recoveries had already been completed.

Also Read | NEET paper leak: Exam to be computer-based instead of OMR from next year

According to the investigation, Lokhande allegedly obtained the question paper from co-accused Manisha Waghmare of Pune and then forwarded it to Khairnar. The probe also revealed suspected financial transactions of around ₹6 lakh between Lokhande and Khairnar, supported by bank records and electronic evidence collected during the investigation.

The CBI stated that accused Shubham Madhukar Khairnar allegedly obtained the leaked question paper with the intent of selling it for monetary gain. He is further accused of enabling Yash Yadav to circulate the leaked NEET (UG) 2026 question paper. Subsequently, on April 29, Yadav reportedly received PDF files of the question paper via Telegram, which included papers for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology that have since been recovered.

The CBI is also questioning five other accused persons in connection with the case. Investigators allege that Khairnar of Nashik obtained the NEET UG question paper on April 28, 2025, from Dhananjay Lokhande, who in turn allegedly sourced it through an NTA-linked contact.

A Special CBI Court on Thursday remanded five accused - Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal, Dinesh Biwal, Yash Yadav, and Shubham Khairnar - to seven days of CBI custody. While seeking custody, the agency said interrogation was necessary to identify officials of the National Testing Agency and other departments allegedly involved in leaking the NEET UG 2026 question paper prior to the exam.

The CBI further submitted that Khairnar played a key role in distributing the leaked question paper to Yash Yadav in Gurugram.

Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday stated that the NEET-UG re-examination is scheduled for June 21. He also stated that, starting next year, the medical entrance exam will be conducted as a computer-based test as part of reforms introduced in response to allegations of irregularities in the examination process.

(With inputs from agencies)

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