NEET paper leak case: Court allows three more days to CBI to file chargesheet annexures; hearing on Aug 3

NEET paper leak probe: A special fast-track court has listed the CBI's chargesheet in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case for consideration on August 3. The court has granted the agency three more days to file the remaining annexures.

The chargesheet, running into 20,000 pages, has been filed against 13 accused. The CBI has requested additional time to submit annexures, witness statements, and the list of documents. The court noted the absence of witness statements and document lists with the chargesheet. The agency explained that the records are voluminous and are being scanned before being supplied to the accused.

Advocates VK Pathak and Arjun Anand have been appointed as the CBI's public prosecutors in the case following a court order. The chargesheet names three paper experts, two individuals linked to coaching centres, middlemen, and several beneficiary candidates.

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The chargesheet includes allegations of criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, and destruction of evidence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. It also cites criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act and offences under the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

The CBI has cited 360 witnesses, 422 documents, and 43 material objects. The chargesheet contains digital forensic analysis reports, handwriting expert opinions, and academic experts' views on the leaked question papers.

The CBI took over the investigation on May 12 after allegations of irregularities and a paper leak in the NEET-UG 2026 examination held on May 3. The exam was cancelled and a re-examination was conducted on June 21. Following the FIR registration, the agency conducted raids at 92 locations across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, and other states. The two-month probe traced the conspiracy from the leak source to the candidates who benefited, identifying the entire chain involved.

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The agency named three arrested National Testing Agency subject experts as accused: PV Kulkarni (chemistry), Manisha Gurunath Mandhare (biology), and Manisha Sanjay Havaldar (physics). Other accused include Manoj Shirure, a doctor from Latur; Tejas Harshadkumar Shah, a physics faculty member at Dr Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy in Pune; and Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar from a coaching centre in Latur.

The paper leak issue also sparked a political controversy. A group led by the Cockroach Janta Party staged a protest at Jantar Mantar, which led to the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.