New Delhi, July 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday filed a chargesheet against all 13 arrested accused in the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, marking a significant step in the investigation into one of the country’s biggest examination scandals.
The chargesheet was submitted before the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi and is scheduled to be placed on Wednesday before the specially designated Fast Track Court constituted to exclusively hear paper leak cases.
All 13 accused, who are currently in judicial custody, have been named in the prosecution complaint. They include Yash Yadav, Mangilal Biwal, Dinesh Biwal, Vikas Biwal, Shubham Khairnar, Dhananjay Lokhande, Prahlad Kulkarni, Tejas Harshad Kumar, Dr Manoj Bhagwanrao Shirure, Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, Manisha Waghmare, Manisha Mandhare and Manisha Sanjay Havaldar.
According to the CBI, the accused have been charged under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
The agency had registered the case on May 12 following a complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Union Ministry of Education, alleging that confidential NEET-UG 2026 question papers had been circulated through WhatsApp before the examination.
Investigators have alleged the existence of a nationwide network involving candidates, middlemen, coaching operators and others linked to the paper leak. Following the revelations, the original NEET-UG 2026 examination was cancelled, and a fresh examination was conducted on June 21 under enhanced security arrangements.
The filing of the chargesheet comes amid a broader push to expedite action in examination-related offences. Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on establishing fast-track courts for paper leak cases, the Delhi High Court recently designated a special Fast Track Court at the Rouse Avenue Courts Complex to exclusively try offences under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and related cases.
On Tuesday, the Patna High Court also announced the establishment of three special fast-track courts in Patna, Lakhisarai and Purnea to hear cases involving paper leaks, cheating and other examination-related offences, directing that trials be conducted on a day-to-day basis and, as far as possible, concluded within three months of filing of the chargesheet.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha on Tuesday began deliberations on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to strengthen the legal framework by enhancing penalties, increasing financial fines, prescribing timelines for investigations and mandating fast-track courts for such cases.
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