A Delhi court has said there is “overwhelming incriminating material” to prima facie show that all 13 accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case formed part of a syndicate to leak and circulate the question paper for illegal monetary gain.
Special Judge Ajay Gupta made the observations while taking cognisance on Wednesday of the CBI’s charge sheet against the accused. The order was made available on Thursday.
Court Points To Role Of 3 Subject Experts
The court said the CBI’s investigation showed that the accused had played active roles in the dissemination and circulation of the leaked Physics, Chemistry and Biology papers.
“It is prima facie clear from the overwhelming incriminating material collected by the CBI through an extensive investigation that all the aforementioned accused persons…
played an active role in dissemination and circulation of the aforesaid exam question paper of all three subjects (Physics, Chemistry and Biology),” the court noted.
The order further said that alleged kingpin PV Kulkarni appeared to have taken advantage of the absence of frisking of subject experts at the designated venue and discreetly carried chits or notes prepared while translating the Chemistry paper.
The court noted that Kulkarni, along with Physics expert Manisha Sanjay Havaldar and Biology expert Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, had given written undertakings not to share any NEET-related material.
“Further, it is clear from the record that all these three experts (Kulkarni, Manisha Sanjay Havaldar for physics and Manisha Gurunath Mandhare for biology) had given their written undertaking before they were engaged for this work that they will not share any part of the NEET (UG) 2026 exam related material with anyone in any manner,” the court said.
Their alleged violation of the undertakings, the court said, prima facie amounted to criminal breach of trust involving the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Leaked Material Allegedly Sold
The court said the three subject experts appeared to have acted in conspiracy with the other accused to obtain illegal monetary gain by selling leaked questions to co-accused and candidates “in the guise of providing coaching to them”.
It also noted allegations that some accused destroyed or disposed of leaked exam material and that some electronic devices containing relevant material were destroyed.
“All the other co-accused persons have also committed all these offences in active conspiracy with these subject experts. As per the charge-sheet, accused persons have also destroyed/disposed of the leaked (NEET (UG) 2026 exam material and some of them have destroyed their electronic devices also containing the relevant material,” the court said.
The court took cognisance of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including criminal conspiracy, disappearance of evidence, criminal breach of trust, receiving stolen property and cheating.
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, is conducted by the NTA for medical aspirants. On May 12, the NTA cancelled the NEET-UG held on May 3 for admissions in medical courses amid allegations of paper leak. A re-examination was conducted on June 21. Dharmendra Pradhan later resigned as education minister over the NEET paper leak row following the protests.
(With inputs from PTI)
