New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday filed a chargesheet against 13 people in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case. The accused include
three paper experts, two people associated with coaching institutes, middlemen and several beneficiary candidates, officials said.
The CBI submitted the chargesheet before a special court. It invoked provisions related to criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust and destruction of evidence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The agency also invoked provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
CBI submits evidence
“The CBI cited 360 witnesses, 422 documents and 43 material objects in this charge sheet. All 13 chargesheeted persons are in judicial custody as on date,” the agency’s spokesperson said in a statement. The CBI submitted digital forensic analysis reports, handwriting experts’ findings and opinions from academic experts regarding the leaked questions.
“These reports confirmed the role of the accused in circulation of leaked questions prior to the date of examination,” the spokesperson said.
The Centre handed the investigation to the CBI on May 12 following allegations of irregularities and a paper leak in the NEET-UG 2026 examination held on May 3. Authorities later cancelled the examination and conducted a fresh test on June 21.
NTA experts named
The CBI named three arrested National Testing Agency subject experts as accused. They are chemistry expert PV Kulkarni, biology expert Manisha Gurunath Mandhare and physics expert Manisha Sanjay Havaldar.
The other accused include Latur-based doctor Manoj Shirure and Tejas Harshadkumar Shah, a physics faculty member at Pune-based Dr Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy. The agency also named Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, who is associated with a coaching centre in Latur.
“Several middlemen who have sourced and distributed these leaked questions have also been identified and arrested. Two individuals associated with coaching institutes have also been arrested for obtaining these leaked question papers from the above experts,” the CBI spokesperson said.
Raids across states
After it registered the FIR, the CBI searched 92 locations across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and other states. During its two-month investigation, the agency traced the alleged conspiracy from the source of the leak to the candidates who benefited from it. According to the CBI, the investigation helped identify the entire chain involved in obtaining and distributing the leaked questions.
The agency also examined the movement of money linked to the alleged conspiracy. It froze several bank accounts, bank lockers and a demat account belonging to the accused.
Protests triggered resignation
The paper leak developed into a major political controversy and sparked nationwide anger over the examination system.
A group of Gen Z protesters led by the Cockroach Janta Party held a large demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The agitation eventually led to the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
