In its remand application filed in a Delhi court, the CBI had said the leaked questions were found on the phone of the coaching institute founder. “He distributed copies of the leaked papers and answer sheets to multiple persons. There is a video where he is seen in his coaching centre saying that the questions which he gave to the students were there in the final question paper. His links with co-accused Prahlad Kulkarni are under investigation,” the agency had told the court.

Kulkarni is the retired Chemistry teacher who was “associated with NTA” and arrested from Pune. The CBI has arrested two other teachers, Manisha Mandhare and Manisha Sanjay Havaldar, in the case.

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According to sources, Mandhare and Manisha Waghmare, a Pune beautician who has also been arrested in the case, were living in the same residential society. “Mandhare is a close associate of Havaldar, as they were both appointed by the NTA as experts. Waghmare was working as a scout, looking for suitable students, and she was also associated with Kulkarni,” said the source.

According to the CBI probe, Havaldar allegedly leaked the Physics questions, Kulkarni allegedly leaked the Chemistry questions, and Mandhare allegedly leaked the Botany and Zoology questions. “Mandhare was not only involved in setting the question paper but also in translating it; Kulkarni was also involved in translating the paper into Marathi,” said the source.

Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is known for his impactful and breaking stories. He covers the Ministry of Home Affairs, Investigative Agencies, National Investigative Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, Law Enforcement Agencies, Paramilitary Forces, and internal security. Prior to this, Manral had extensively reported on city-based crime stories along with that he also covered the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government for a decade. He is known for his knack for News and a detailed understanding of stories. He also worked with Mail Today as a senior correspondent for eleven months. He has also worked with The Pioneer for two years where he was exclusively covering crime beat. During his initial days of the career he also worked with The Statesman newspaper in the national capital, where he was entrusted with beats like crime, education, and the Delhi Jal Board. A graduate in Mass Communication, Manral is always in search of stories that impact lives. ... Read More

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