The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday arrested Pune-based school headmistress Manisha Sanjay Havaldar in connection with the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 Physics question paper. With her arrest, the number of accused in the case has gone up to 11, according to Ardhra Nair, Raj Shekhar Jha & Mihir Tanksale's TOI report
Havaldar, who heads Sheth Hiralal Saraf Prashala in Budhwar Peth, was reportedly appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA) as an expert in the examination framework, a role that allegedly gave her access to Physics question papers.
Earlier arrests in the case include PV Kulkarni, a chemistry lecturer linked to the NTA question paper-setting panel; NTA exam expert Manisha Mandhare; beauty parlour owner Manisha Waghmare; and Dhananjay, who ran a consultancy firm. Several others from Pune, Latur, Nashik and other parts of Maharashtra and the country have also been taken into custody.
According to the CBI, Havaldar allegedly forwarded parts of the Physics paper to co-accused Manisha Mandhare, who was arrested on May 16. Officials said the leaked questions matched those that later appeared in the NEET-UG 2026 exam, making her a key link in the alleged breach.
A representative of Sheth Hiralal Saraf Prashala, secretary Satish Gavali, said to TOI that Havaldar had been associated with the institution since 1992. He noted she previously taught Physics at the junior college level, handled classes from Std V to X, and was promoted to headmistress in 2024.
“Since 2024, she had been teaching only secondary classes. She holds an MSc and BEd degree. We had no knowledge of her involvement in NEET paper setting, as such work is confidential. The news has come as a shock to us,” Gavali said to TOI.
He further said Havaldar was due to retire in June 2026 but has now been suspended pending inquiry. “She was known as a disciplinarian and was well regarded by students and parents,” Gavali said, adding that the school was unaware of her involvement in private coaching or question-setting work for other competitive exams. “We are unaware if she worked as a question setter for any other competitive exams, though she had previously served as a moderator and evaluated answer sheets for state board examinations,” he said.
In a parallel development, the CBI also questioned a third doctor from Latur, as the district continues to emerge as a significant node in the widening investigation. Coaching operators from Nanded, Parbhani and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar have also come under scrutiny.
Sources said the three doctors under investigation are suspected of having obtained the leaked NEET question paper for their relatives. “It is quite evident that some doctors, keen on seeing their children continue the family’s medical legacy, may go to extreme lengths. Apart from these three, some more from the region, including Nanded, are being examined for possible links to the racket,” a senior officer said.
Investigators suspect that some parents may have actively facilitated access to the leaked papers through an intermediary network. The agency is also probing whether the questions were circulated selectively among candidates in exchange for large sums of money or distributed under the guise of mock tests.
The probe has now widened further to examine alleged links between coaching networks in Latur, medical professionals, and suspected middlemen. Officials are reviewing financial records, call detail records, and money trails connected to the alleged leak and distribution network.
CBI teams are also investigating possible direct or indirect links between doctors, coaching operators, and individuals involved in the suspected racket. More questioning of doctors, coaching-linked individuals and parents is expected as the investigation progresses, with further summonses and possible arrests likely.
Officials said the investigation has helped trace the core source of the breach. Beyond the alleged insider leak, multiple middlemen have also been arrested. These individuals were reportedly involved in identifying medical aspirants and charging hefty sums to enrol them in secret coaching sessions where leaked questions were allegedly discussed and solved before the examination.
(With TOI inputs)
