The 2026 NEET-UG examination was cancelled after a massive paper leak controversy triggered nationwide outrage.
The Central Bureau of Investigation claimed that a retired Chemistry lecturer from Pune acted as the mastermind behind the leak that allegedly reached multiple medical aspirants before the exam.
The CBI identified Pune-based Chemistry lecturer PV Kulkarni as the alleged “kingpin” of the operation.
Officials said he had access to confidential papers because he was associated with the exam process through the National Testing Agency and had reportedly helped set NEET question papers for years.
Investigators claimed Kulkarni leaked the questions and correct answers during a private coaching session held at his Pune residence in the last week of April.
Aspirants allegedly wrote down the answers in notebooks after he dictated the entire set during the session.
According to the CBI, the leaked Chemistry questions, multiple-choice options, and answers matched the actual NEET-UG 2026 paper conducted on May 3.
Seven people have been arrested so far in the widening investigation. Among them are Rajasthan residents Mangi Lal and Dinesh Biwal, who allegedly acted as key links in distributing the leaked paper through coaching networks in Sikar.
Investigators found that all 45 Chemistry questions and all 90 Biology questions in the actual NEET exam were present in a so-called “guess paper” containing 281 questions.
Around 22 lakh students appeared for NEET-UG 2026 before the exam was cancelled by the NTA on May 12.