New Delhi | A Delhi court on Monday extended the judicial custody of 10 accused in the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case until July 11. The case is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has so far arrested 13 individuals allegedly linked to the paper leak network.
The 10 accused were produced virtually before the Rouse Avenue Court after the expiry of their judicial custody. The court extended the custody of Yash Yadav, Mangilal Biwal, Dinesh Biwal, Vikas Biwal, Dhananjay Lokhande, Tejas Harshad Shah, Shubham Khairnar, Manisha Waghmare, Manisha Havaldar, and Dr. Manoj Shirure until July 11.
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Among the remaining three accused, the alleged kingpin P. V. Kulkarni and Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar have already been remanded to judicial custody until July 8, while Manisha Gurunath Mandhare remains in judicial custody until June 30.
According to the CBI, the case relates to the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 question paper before the medical entrance examination. The agency alleges that confidential examination questions were illegally accessed and shared with selected candidates ahead of the test.
The investigation began after the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, submitted a written complaint on May 12, 2026, prompting the CBI to register a case and launch searches at multiple locations across the country.
Investigators allege that P. V. Kulkarni, a chemistry lecturer associated with the examination process on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA), had access to the question paper. The CBI claims that during the last week of April 2026, he, along with accused Manisha Waghmare, gathered selected students and conducted special coaching sessions at his residence in Pune.
During these sessions, Kulkarni allegedly dictated the examination questions, answer options, and correct answers to students. According to the CBI, the handwritten notes prepared by the students were later found to match the actual NEET-UG 2026 question paper conducted on May 3.
Following allegations of the paper leak, the NTA cancelled the May 3 examination on May 12, and a re-examination was conducted on June 21, in which more than 20 lakh medical aspirants appeared.
The CBI is continuing its investigation into the alleged paper leak network, examining financial transactions, communication records, and the possible involvement of additional individuals connected to the examination process. Further legal action will depend on the evidence gathered during the ongoing probe.
