NEET paper leak: Pune school principal shared questions for money, CBI tells court

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a Pune court that Manisha Sanjay Havaldar, principal of a school in Pune arrested in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, allegedly shared exam-related questions with a few students in return for money, PTI sources said on Sunday.The agency made the submission while seeking her transit remand after her arrest on Friday. Havaldar, principal of Seth Hiralal Saraf Prashala, had worked as an empanelled Physics translator for NEET UG-2026. She is expected to be produced before a Delhi court on Monday.According to the sources, the CBI informed the court that its investigation found Havaldar had allegedly conspired with botany lecturer Manisha Mandhare, who is already in custody, to pass on confidential NEET-related content to certain students for financial gain.The probe agency alleged that Havaldar prepared and kept handwritten notes containing exam-related questions while carrying out work assigned by the National Testing Agency (NTA). These materials were later allegedly circulated to some students through WhatsApp messages and printed copies ahead of the May 3 examination.The PTI sources said Havaldar admitted to sharing Physics questions from the exam, which she had translated or reverse-translated, with one student as well as Mandhare, a faculty member at Modern College of Arts and Science in Pune.The CBI further told the court that Havaldar allegedly received Rs 20,000 from one student and Rs 25,000 from another individual in connection with the leak. Investigators also alleged that she later deleted chats with Mandhare and burnt notes linked to the Physics question bank.The NEET-UG 2026 examination, conducted for admissions to undergraduate medical courses, was later cancelled following allegations of a paper leak. The Centre subsequently handed over the investigation into the irregularities to the CBI, which has arrested 10 people in the case so far.