Legal proceedings in the NEET-UG paper leak investigation have entered a new procedural phase following the administrative transfer of the case to Special Judge Ajay Gupta at the Rouse Avenue Court complex in New Delhi. The reassignment occurred after the previous presiding judge, Special Judge Anu Grover Baliga, was transferred in accordance with standard judicial rotations. The entire judicial record has been formally placed before the designated Special Fast Track Court, which will now oversee all further proceedings, including the formal review of the chargesheet, consideration of judicial cognisance, and hearings on pending applications.
During the courtroom transition, the court issued explicit instructions directing the judicial registry to verify the voluminous case records and coordinate with investigating officers. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) representatives, including Senior Public Prosecutor V.K. Pathak and Public Prosecutor Arjun Anand, confirmed to the court that all original evidentiary materials referenced in the primary chargesheet have been produced for judicial scrutiny. The court instructed the investigating agency to provide complete technical and administrative assistance during the record verification process to ensure an expeditations transition.
CBI Submits Exhaustive 20,000-Page Investigation File
The formal transfer coincides with the CBI filing an exhaustive chargesheet running to nearly 20,000 pages against 13 primary accused persons. According to official submissions by the federal probe agency, the prosecution case is backed by written statements from 360 witnesses, 422 documentary records, and 43 physical items seized during nationwide raids. Prosecutors emphasized that extensive digital forensics, handwriting analysis, electronic communication logs, and expert academic evaluations form the foundation of the chargesheet, establishing the step-by-step chronology of the paper leak conspiracy.
The agency’s findings detail how an organized network involving question paper setters, translation personnel, coaching institute associates, and regional intermediaries conspired to compromise the confidentiality of the national medical entrance test. By intercepting examination material prior to the test date, the accused allegedly facilitated unauthorized access for selected candidate beneficiaries in exchange for substantial financial considerations, undermining the competitive integrity of the examination process nationwide.
Allegations Against NTA Panel Member and Key Co-Accused
A central focus of the chargesheet involves Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, a Pune-based botany teacher who served on the National Testing Agency (NTA) expert panel. Investigators allege that Mandhare exploited her insider access during the paper preparation and review process to illicitly extract biology examination questions. The leaked questions were subsequently distributed to designated conduits and coaching operatives before being provided to beneficiary candidates for financial gain.
While the chargesheet details illicit activities among contracted subject experts and private intermediaries, the CBI clarified that no permanent administrative official of the National Testing Agency has been named as an accused in the initial charge sheet. The agency informed the court that forensic financial audits and technical analyses remain active, noting that supplementary chargesheets will be submitted if ongoing inquiries reveal broader institutional complicity or identify additional conspirators.
Pending Bail Pleas and Upcoming Judicial Steps
Alongside the chargesheet submission, the court addressed pending bail applications filed on behalf of accused individuals Dinesh Biwal and Vikas Biwal. Following the absence of defense counsel during the scheduled hearing, the court transferred both bail petitions to the court of Special Judge Ajay Gupta for unified consideration on August 4. The new court will hear arguments on the bail pleas concurrently with its review of the CBI’s chargesheet.
With the matter now assigned to a dedicated Special Fast Track Court, judicial proceedings are expected to proceed on an accelerated timeline. The upcoming court sessions will focus on verifying all scanned annexures, determining whether to take formal cognisance of the offenses under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, and supplying full digital copies of the 20,000-page record to all accused currently in judicial custody.
