CBI chargesheet reveals alleged multi-state NEET-UG 2026 paper leak network linked to NTA experts
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has laid out what it calls a well-planned network behind the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, naming 13 accused including three subject experts appointed by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
According to the chargesheet filed before the Special CBI Court at Rouse Avenue in Delhi, confidential examination questions were leaked weeks before the May 3 examination and circulated through handwritten notes, private coaching sessions and digital platforms before reaching candidates.
As per the investigation, the leak did not happen after the question papers were printed instead, the CBI claims the questions were copied during the confidential translation, back-translation and proofreading process carried out in April. The agency has identified the three experts as Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, Prahlad Vithalrao Kulkarni and Manisha Sanjay Havaldar.
The examination conducted on May 3 was later cancelled by the NTA after the leak came to light. A fresh NEET-UG examination was subsequently held on June 21.
Secret revision sessions and handwritten notes
According to the CBI, Kulkarni and Mandhare allegedly organised unauthorised revision sessions at their homes in Pune where candidates were dictated questions, answer choices and correct responses. Those attending the sessions reportedly wrote everything down in notebooks before the examination.
The agency claims that the physics paper followed a different route. Havaldar allegedly dictated questions to coaching faculty member Tejas Harshadkumar Shah who wrote them by hand. The notes were later photographed and shared further. Investigators have also alleged that selected candidates were taken to Siddhivinayak Hospital in Latur where they were asked to memorise the leaked question bank before appearing for the examination.
Digital trail, Telegram transfers and forensic evidence
The CBI alleges that the leaked material later moved beyond Maharashtra through brokers and intermediaries. According to the chargesheet, the questions were converted into PDF files and shared through Telegram before reaching contacts in Gurugram and Jaipur. The agency has also claimed that WhatsApp groups, digital chats, payment records and call data helped investigators trace the movement of the leaked material across states.
The forensic examination of seized mobile phones allegedly recovered PDF files, photographs of question papers and conversations linked to the accused. The investigation also refers to a WhatsApp group titled “NEET 2026” and electronic records that according to the CBI, matched witness statements collected during the probe.
The chargesheet further states that notebooks recovered during searches contained questions that matched the actual NEET-UG paper conducted on May 3.
The CBI says examinations by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and the Government Examiner of Questioned Documents (GEQD) along with digital transactions and cash recoveries, support its findings. Based on the investigation, the agency has charged the accused under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. The allegations are part of the CBI’s chargesheet and the matter remains before the court.