3 NTA experts among 13 chargesheeted by CBI in NEET-UG paper leak case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against 13 accused, including 3 National Testing Agency (NTA) experts, in the alleged NEET-UG paper leak case before the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi.

In Short

• CBI files chargesheet against 13 accused in NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case
• Case to be heard by Delhi's Special Fast-Track Court for paper leak cases
• All 13 accused remain in judicial custody; probe into wider conspiracy continues

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against 13 accused, including 3 NTA experts, in the NEET-UG paper leak case before the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi.

Those named are Manisha Mandhare, an NTA Biology expert; Pralhad Vithalrao Kulkarni, an NTA Chemistry expert; and Manisha Sanjay Havaldar, an NTA Physics expert.

The other accused include alleged middlepersons and middlemen Manisha Sanjay Waghmare, Dhananjay Nivrutti Lokhande, Shubham Madhukar Khairnar, Yash Yadav, Mangilal Biwal, Vikash Biwal, Dinesh Biwal, and Dr. Manoj Bhagwanrao Shirure.

Also named are Shivraj Raghunath Motegoankar, owner of RCC Coaching Institute in Latur, and Tejas Harshadkumar Shah, Physics faculty member and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at APMA Coaching Institute in Pune. According to the CBI, all 13 accused are currently in judicial custody.

The chargesheet has been submitted by the CBI's Economic Offences Wing. It will now be placed before the Special Fast Track Court set up to hear cases related to public examination paper leaks. The court will decide the next steps in the case.

All 13 accused named in the chargesheet are currently in judicial custody. According to the CBI, all those named are private individuals and no government official has been chargesheeted in the case.

According to the agency, the chargesheet is supported by 360 witnesses, 422 documents and 43 material exhibits.

A day before on Monday, the fast track cort had directed the directorate that the investigating agency be represented in the matter and adjourned the hearing on the bail applications of accused Dinesh Biwal and Vikas Biwal to August 3.

92 RAIDS, 72-MEMBER PROBE TEAM

To crack the case, the CBI formed multiple teams comprising 72 investigating officers and eight cyber forensic experts. Raids were carried out at 92 locations across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and several other states.

During the searches, investigators seized mobile phones, laptops, digital storage devices and documents, all of which were examined through forensic analysis.

The agency said the probe helped establish the entire chain of the paper leak, identifying the source of the leaked questions and tracing how they were circulated among candidates before the examination.

As part of the investigation, the agency has frozen the accused's bank accounts, bank lockers and one Demat account.

The CBI said digital forensic evidence, handwriting analysis and expert examination confirmed that the leaked questions had been circulated before the examination.

The agency added that the investigation is still underway and further action will be taken if additional evidence emerges.

CHARGES UNDER SEVERAL LAWS

The CBI has registered the case under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. These include Sections 315(5), 318(4), 61(2), 238 and 303(2).

The agency has also invoked Sections 13(2) and 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

In addition, action has been taken under Sections 3, 4, 5 and 11, read with Section 10, of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. The law was brought in to deal with cheating and unfair practices in public examinations.

INVESTIGATION BEGAN AFTER EXAM LEAK

The case relates to the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 question paper for the examination held on May 3, 2026. Following allegations of a paper leak and other irregularities, the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the examination on May 12.

On the same day, the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which registered an FIR and began a nationwide probe.

The filing of the chargesheet marks the next stage of the investigation. The Special Fast Track Court at Rouse Avenue will now examine the chargesheet before deciding on further proceedings.

The CBI has said its investigation is continuing and that it is examining the wider conspiracy behind the paper leak. Recently, the agency also said it found no evidence to establish the involvement of one person who had earlier been suspected in the case and therefore did not include him in the chargesheet.

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