New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a chargesheet against 13 accused in the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak case before the Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi. The case will now be taken up by the special Fast Track Court established to hear paper leak matters. Investigators have backed the chargesheet with 360 witnesses, 422 documents and 43 material objects as evidence.
The accused include alleged middlemen, coaching operators, subject experts and education consultants. All 13 are currently in judicial custody. The charges have been filed under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act.
A key finding of the investigation is that no evidence of institutional corruption was found within the National Testing Agency. Investigators examined whether NTA officials had accepted money or any other benefit in exchange for leaking the examination paper but found no proof of such involvement. Instead, the probe concluded that serious procedural lapses and negligence created vulnerabilities that were exploited by the accused. The agency is expected to recommend disciplinary action against those found negligent along with major changes to the NTA’s standard operating procedures.
The investigation also uncovered an alleged interstate network that obtained and circulated leaked Chemistry questions before the examination. According to the probe, retired professor and former NTA associate Pralhad Kulkarni allegedly dictated questions during special coaching sessions after receiving around ₹5 lakh. The material was distributed as a guess paper and reportedly matched nearly 90 percent of the actual Chemistry questions in the exam.
Investigators further alleged that coaching institute owner Shivraj Motegaonkar purchased the leaked questions with the help of intermediaries and a doctor before the examination. Digital and forensic evidence, including Telegram records and electronic devices, traced the spread of leaked material across Pune, Latur, Nashik, Kota and Gurugram.
Forensic analysis also found that 111 handwritten questions recovered during the investigation matched the NTA’s master question sets for NEET UG 2026, strengthening the prosecution’s case against the accused.
