Delhi Court Takes Cognisance Of CBI Chargesheet Against 13 In NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak Case
New Delhi, August 12, 2026: A Delhi court on Wednesday took cognisance of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chargesheet against 13 accused in the NEET-UG paper leak case. Special Judge Ajay Gupta took cognisance of the agency’s final report, which was recently submitted before the designated fast-track court dealing with “criminal cases arising from paper leaks as well as the use of other…
Delhi court took notice of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chargesheet against 13 individuals implicated in the NEET-UG paper leak case. Special Judge Ajay Gupta heard the final report submitted by the CBI, detailing their complaint against the accused. The court is expected to commence hearings on charges starting from Thursday.
The CBI informed the court that media outlets were publishing the names of certain witnesses, including minors, and excerpts from the chargesheet. The judge expressed strong disapproval of this action, stating it was "shocking" that such information was being made public without due process. Media organizations were urged to refrain from disseminating such sensitive details.
The CBI chargesheet alleged that three National Testing Agency (NTA) subject experts - P. V. Kulkarni, Manisha Sanjay Havaldar, and Manisha Gurunath Mandhare - were key figures in the NEET paper leak. The report stated that CBI operations commenced on May 13, resulting in the arrest of Mangilal, Dinesh, and Vikas Biwal in Rajasthan.
Additional arrests followed, including Yash Yadav in Gurugram, Shubham Khairnar in Nashik, Dhananjay Lokhande in Pune, Manisha Sanjay Waghmare a day later, and P. V. Kulkarni and Manisha Mandhare in Latur.
Shivraj Motegaonkar, the owner of a coaching center in Latur, was apprehended on May 17. Manisha Sanjay Havaldar was arrested in Latur on May 22. Finally, Tejas Shah and Dr. Manoj Shirure were caught in Pune and Latur, respectively, on May 26.
Forensic examination of mobile devices played a crucial role in uncovering the conspiracy, as deleted WhatsApp chats and PDF documents containing the leaked questions were retrieved. The NEET-UG, conducted by the NTA, was initially cancelled on May 12 due to allegations of a paper leak, only to be rescheduled for a re-examination on June 21. Subsequently, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid widespread protests over the NEET paper leak scandal.
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