Paper setter arrested in NEET leak case
A retired college professor from Maharashtra’s Latur has emerged as the alleged source of the NEET-UG paper leak. Retired Professor PV Kulkarni of Dayanand Science College was arrested in Pune by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday night.
Kulkarni, a former member of the NEET paper-setting panel, who also translated the chemistry section into Marathi, was brought to Delhi on early Friday for further interrogation.
According to the CBI, Kulkarni had authorised access to the question papers. With the help of another accused, Manisha Waghmare, who the CBI arrested on 14 May 2026, Kulkarni hosted a group of students at his residence in Pune the last week of April 2026, where he dictated the questions, along with their options and correct answers.
Students allegedly paid several lakh rupees to attend the sessions where they wrote the questions down in their notebooks. These handwritten notes have been found to match the actual NEET-UG 2026 question paper held on 3 May 2026 exactly.
CBI teams have conducted searches at multiple locations across the country and seized several incriminating documents, electronic gadgets, and mobile phones. Detailed forensic and technical analysis of the seized material is currently underway.
The scope of Kulkarni’s role remain unclear. The first warning came when a parent reported that 42 chemistry questions in a mock test by a Latur coaching institute matched the actual NEET paper. A 28-member CBI team was then deployed across Latur, known for its coaching factories.
On Thursday, an Ayurveda practitioner from Ahilyanagar and a beauty salon owner from Pune were taken in. All attention now turns to Kulkarni, whose role may expose a bigger conspiracy.
CCTV footage from two coaching centres has been seized, and digital evidence is under review. The agency has not ruled out the involvement of insiders from the National Testing Agency or public servants. A senior official hinted, “This is not the end. It may be just the beginning.”
The probe has confirmed the paper was not just ‘guessed’ but stolen and monetised as a commercial product. The CBI has charged Kulkarni with conspiracy, cheating, and breach of trust. More arrests are expected as the case expands.
