New Delhi, August 14, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A Delhi court hearing the NEET-UG question paper leak case has allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to expand its probe and collect evidence against additional suspects whose possible involvement emerged during the investigation, a lawyer said on Friday.
The order was passed by a specially designated Fast Track Court at the Rouse Avenue Courts Complex, set up to deal exclusively with offences under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and related cases.
The development allows the CBI to examine the activities of additional suspects in the period leading up to the now-cancelled May 3 NEET-UG examination.
According to the CBI’s application, its investigation into some suspects other than the 13 accused named in its charge sheet was still continuing. The agency told the court that its probe against the 13 charge-sheeted accused had been completed, while the possible involvement of other suspects required further investigation.
The court on Wednesday took cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the CBI against 13 accused in the NEET-UG 2026 question paper leak case.
The agency filed the charge sheet on July 28, alleging that confidential NEET-UG question papers were leaked before the May 3 examination through a network involving National Testing Agency (NTA) subject experts, intermediaries, coaching operators and others.
The charge sheet alleges that three NTA subject experts responsible for translating, back-translating and proofreading examination papers were able to remove confidential questions from the agency’s Delhi office by exploiting security lapses.
The CBI has alleged that accused P.V. Kulkarni wrote down all 135 Chemistry questions along with their answer options on small slips of paper and concealed them while leaving the confidential section.
The agency said there was no system for checking or frisking experts while they entered or exited the confidential section.
According to the CBI, accused Manisha Gurunath Mandhare subsequently reconstructed questions using her familiarity with NCERT textbooks after returning to her hotel, while Manisha Sanjay Havaldar allegedly made brief notes of Physics questions after returning to her accommodation.
The investigation has also identified shortcomings in CCTV surveillance at the NTA office. The CBI said CCTV footage was retained for only 20-25 days and there was no dedicated control room for live monitoring of the confidential section.
The agency has cited 360 witnesses, 422 documents and 43 material objects in support of its case.
The 13 accused have been chargesheeted under Sections 315(5), 318(4), 61(2), 238 and 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
The CBI registered the case on May 12.
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