Delhi Court Extends Custody of NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak Suspects Amid Ongoing Investigation

Judicial Custody Extended for NEET-UG Paper Leak Accused

New Delhi: On Monday, a Delhi court decided to prolong the judicial custody of ten individuals implicated in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case until July 11. This case is currently under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The accused were presented via video conferencing at the Rouse Avenue Court as their previous custody period came to an end.

The court has now extended the custody for Yash Yadav, Mangilal Biwal, Dinesh Biwal, Vikas Biwal, Dhananjay Lokhande, Tejas Harshad Shah, Shubham Khairnar, Manisha Waghmare, Manisha Sanjay Havaldar, and Dr. Manoj Shirure until July 11.

Previously, on June 15, the court had already extended their custody until June 29. It also allowed the CBI to interrogate Shubham Khairnar, Manisha Waghmare, and Dhananjay Lokhande in jail on June 17, 18, and 19, respectively, for one hour each as part of the ongoing investigation.

To date, the CBI has arrested 13 individuals in connection with this case, which involves an alleged network that procured and distributed NEET-UG question papers prior to the examination.

The investigation indicates that Dr. Manoj Shirure, based in Latur, played a significant role in assisting three students, including the son of a coaching center owner, in acquiring Chemistry questions from the alleged mastermind P.V. Kulkarni before the exam.

Tejas Harshad Shah, a Physics instructor at Pune's Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy (APMA), is accused of receiving leaked Physics questions from co-accused Manisha Sanjay Havaldar.

Additionally, the CBI claims that Pune-based education consultant Manisha Waghmare acted as a facilitator, connecting students who reportedly paid substantial sums for special coaching sessions where questions that appeared in the NEET-UG 2026 exam were discussed.

Waghmare is said to have organized special coaching classes led by NTA-appointed senior Botany teacher Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, who is suspected of being a co-mastermind behind the Biology paper leak, while Chemistry professor P.V. Kulkarni is identified as the alleged kingpin of the paper leak scheme.

The CBI initiated the case on May 12 following a formal complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Union Ministry of Education.

After the FIR was filed, special teams were formed, and searches were conducted at various locations nationwide. Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency (NTA) successfully held the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination on June 21 after the original exam was canceled due to concerns over irregularities.

Over 20 lakh medical aspirants participated in the re-examination at 5,440 centers across India and 14 centers abroad.

To ensure the examination proceeded smoothly, nearly 7 lakh personnel, including examination staff, police, observers, and administrative officials, were deployed.

More than 95,000 examination rooms were monitored using over 1.38 lakh CCTV cameras, and over 51,000 signal jammers were installed to prevent electronic malpractice.

The re-examination was conducted under stringent security protocols, including Aadhaar-based biometric verification, facial recognition, two-layer frisking, real-time surveillance, and command-and-control center monitoring, all aimed at maintaining transparency and the integrity of one of the country's largest entrance examinations.