NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak: CBI Arrests Pune Professor Linked to NTA

New Delhi: In a major breakthrough in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak investigation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a Pune-based professor who was allegedly the original source of the leaked National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) question paper. The accused was reportedly associated with the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the country’s premier medical entrance examination.

The arrested professor has been identified as P.V. Kulkarni, who was allegedly part of the committee involved in setting the NEET-UG 2026 question paper. Multiple sources confirmed that Kulkarni, who taught at Dayanand Science College in Maharashtra’s Latur district, had direct access to confidential examination material.

“He was teaching in Dayanand Science College in Latur and was also involved with the setting of the NEET paper. It is from him that the paper was first leaked,” a source familiar with the investigation said.

NEET UG Paper Leak Case Cracked By CBI, Pune Chemistry Lecturer Identified As Kingpin – EXCLUSIVEhttps://t.co/2uQXvmPyct pic.twitter.com/GtX81h34hK

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According to investigators, the leaked paper was allegedly circulated through a wider network in exchange for a huge amount of money. Officials suspect that the leak racket operated across several states and involved intermediaries who supplied the question paper to selected candidates before the examination.

“He had leaked the paper in exchange for a huge sum of money. Those details, however, will become clear in due course,” the source added.

Kulkarni was arrested in Pune and is expected to be brought to Delhi after the completion of transit remand formalities. CBI officials are likely to interrogate him further to trace the entire chain of individuals involved in the alleged malpractice.

The arrest is being seen as a major development in the ongoing probe as it allegedly establishes the involvement of an insider connected to the examination process — a link that investigators were unable to conclusively prove during the NEET paper leak controversy of 2024.

The NEET-UG 2026 examination had come under scrutiny after reports surfaced that a “guess paper” circulating in parts of Rajasthan and Maharashtra closely matched the actual question paper. The allegations triggered protests by students and parents, prompting the Centre to hand over the case to the CBI.

Investigators are now probing whether more officials, coaching operators and middlemen were involved in leaking and distributing the confidential examination paper. The agency is also examining financial transactions linked to the alleged racket.

The case has intensified pressure on the NTA and the Centre, with demands for stricter safeguards, accountability and reforms in the conduct of national-level competitive examinations.