NEET-UG Leak Case: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has achieved a major breakthrough in the ongoing NEET-UG 2026 paper leak investigation with the arrest of Manisha Sanjay Havaldar, a Pune-based school headmistress, for her alleged role as a primary source in the Physics paper leak.

The arrest, made on May 22, 2026, marks the eleventh arrest in the case, which has already led to the cancellation of the national medical entrance examination and a scheduled re-test on June 21.

Who Is Manisha Sanjay Havaldar?

According to the CBI, Havaldar was involved in the NEET-UG 2026 examination process and had been appointed as an expert by the National Testing Agency (NTA). She was serving at Seth Hiralal Saraf Prashala in Pune.

The investigation has revealed that she had direct access to the Physics question paper, which the agency suspects was misused to leak examination questions.

The CBI said the accused had complete access to the Physics paper and allegedly shared some of the NEET-UG 2026 Physics questions with co-accused Manisha Mandhare, who was arrested on May 16. According to investigators, the questions shared by Havaldar matched those that appeared in the NEET-UG 2026 Physics paper sets.

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So far, a total of 11 accused have been arrested from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nashik, Pune, Latur, and Ahilyanagar. The probe has revealed that the paper leak network was spread across multiple states.
Investigators are also examining the role of individuals associated with several educational institutions.

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The CBI has conducted raids at various locations across the country and seized several incriminating documents, laptops, bank statements, and mobile phones as part of the investigation.

The agency said the probe is still ongoing and reiterated its commitment to conducting a "comprehensive, impartial and professional" investigation into the matter.