NEET UG Paper leak 2026: Court hears submissions of CBI on chargesheet
by KalingaTV Bureau · KalingaTVAdvertisement
New Delhi: The Rouse Avenue court on Friday heard the Submissions by the CBI on the chargesheet filed by the CBI in the NEET UG Paper leak case. After hearing the submissions, the court listed the charge sheet for cognisance on Monday.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a charge sheet running to around 20,000 pages against 13 accused persons.
The accused are Manisha Mandhare, Manisha Waghmare, Manisha Sanjay Hawaldar, Yash Yadav, Prahalad Kulkarni, Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, Dr. Manoj Shirure, Shubham Khairnar, Dhananjay Lokhande, Harshad Jayesh Shah, Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal and Dinesh Biwal.
Special Fast Track Court Judge Ajay Gupta heard the submissions advanced by the Senior Public Prosecutor VK Pathak and Public Prosecutor Arjun Anand on the point of cognisance.
The CBI submitted that the FIR was lodged on May 12, 2026 after a complaint received from a senior officer. The matter came to light when whistleblower Shashikant Suthar got the leaked question paper.
It was submitted that the leaked exam paper reached Mangilal Biwal and Vikas Biwal through Yash Yadav, Shubham Khairnar, Dhananjay Lokhande, and Manisha Waghmare.
The agency alleged that Manisha Sanjay Waghmare got the exam from 3 subject experts, namely Manisha Mandhare, PV Kulkarni, and Manisha Sanjay Hawaldar
It was also submitted that they were engaged for item writing, translation and back translation. There was an authorisation by the NTA.
The CBI said that these 3 experts had access to the examination paper. They were engaged for the Marathi exam paper. These accused either made the chit or memorised the question. Make note in the hotel. They shared the question paper with the students.
They violated the confidentiality agreement signed with the NTA, the agency said.
The CBI said that Manisha Mandhare was a subject expert of Zoology and Botany. 8 students attended the coaching at her residence in Pune.
Their statements were recorded as the questions were shared with them. Documents from the mobile phone and NCERT books were also recovered during the investigation.
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It was submitted that questions of Zoology and Botany were sent to an expert at DU for analysis during the investigation. It was found that 79 questions out of 90 were shared. These questions were part of the Kailash set, which was selected for the exam. Questions in the exam came from the Kailash set. Kailash and Shivalik: There were two sets of exam papers.
The CBI also said that 500 questions and answers were shared as hand written typed form. It was further submitted that Manisha Mandhare gave the questions to Manisha Waghmare. Then the questions were circulated further.
It was also submitted that 68 questions of physics were leaked. 22 questions came in the question paper.
The CBI said that subject expert Manisha Sanjay Hawaldar memorised the physics question and made a note of the same in the diary. She destroyed the same when the matter came in the media.
The physics question paper did not reach Biswal in Rajasthan. This question was shared with Manisha Sanjay Waghmare. Prahalad Kulkarni tried to get access of the physics paper also, the CBI said.
On August 6, the court extended the judicial custody of the accused persons till August 10.
The court has already supplied the e-copy of the charge sheet to all accused persons.
The CBI filed the charge sheet against 13 Accused persons for the offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, destruction of evidence and others under BNS, for the offence of criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act and for offences under the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. CBI cited 360 witnesses, 422 documents and 43 material objects in this charge sheet. All 13 chargesheeted persons are in judicial custody as on date.
The agency said that the Department of Higher Education, Government of India, had lodged a written complaint on 12.05.2026 regarding irregularities and allegations of paper leak in NEET-UG 2026 Examination which was held on 03.05.2026.
The CBI said it registered the FIR on 12.05.2026 and immediately formed multiple teams with 72 officers/ personnel along with 08 Cyber Forensic Experts. Searches were conducted at 92 locations in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and other States. These searches led to seizure of incriminating material like digital and communication devices, documents, etc. Forensic imaging and analysis of the incriminating material has been undertaken.
The first arrest in this case was made on 13.05.2026. A total of 13 accused have been arrested in the case, which included 03 NTA subject experts of Chemistry, Biology and Physics. Several middlemen who have sourced and distributed these leaked questions have also been identified and arrested. Two individuals associated with coaching institutes have also been arrested for obtaining these leaked question papers from the above experts. The money trail analysis was done, and several bank accounts, bank lockers and a demat account of the accused have been frozen, the CBI said.
(ANI)
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