New Delhi: A WhatsApp group named "FIFA World Cup 2026" has emerged as a key piece of evidence in the CBI's investigation into the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, helping investigators uncover what they describe as a coordinated network involving accused individuals and select students.

According to the 20,000-page chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) before a Delhi court, the WhatsApp group, created in November 2025, allegedly served as a platform to coordinate special Biology classes, share schedules, and discuss post-exam evaluation and marks calculation.

The CBI alleged that the group was created by Manisha Mandhare, one of the accused in the case. Investigators said the information came to light through the statements of two NEET candidates.

The agency further alleged that Manisha Waghmare, a Pune-based beautician, acted as a facilitator by enrolling students into the programme. According to the chargesheet, she arranged online and offline coaching sessions for Chemistry and Biology, claiming that students would receive questions identical to those asked in the NEET-UG examination.

The CBI alleged that during Biology classes conducted at Mandhare's residence in Pune, students were instructed to mark specific paragraphs in their NCERT textbooks and write dictated questions in the margins. They were later asked to copy those questions into notebooks, which were allegedly reviewed and corrected by Mandhare.

According to the investigation, these Biology sessions were conducted between November and December 2025 and again from March to April 2026.

The agency also alleged that P.V. Kulkarni, another accused, conducted similar special Chemistry classes from his residence in Nanded City, Pune, where students were allegedly provided with questions matching those in the examination.

Investigators further claimed to have discovered another WhatsApp group titled "NEET 2026", where Kulkarni allegedly shared class schedules and meeting links with students before the examination.

The allegations are part of the CBI's chargesheet and are currently before the court. The case remains under judicial consideration, and the guilt or innocence of the accused will be determined through the legal process.