CBI Extends Custody of NEET-UG Exam Leak Suspect Amid Ongoing Investigation

A Delhi court has extended the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody of Shubham Khairnar, a suspect in the 2026 NEET-UG question paper leak case, on Wednesday. Five other accused individuals have been remanded to judicial custody. Following the expiration of the CBI's custody period, all six suspects were presented at the Rouse Avenue Court. The central agency requested judicial custody for five of them. Special Judge Ajay Gupta accepted the petition, ordering that Mangilal Bival, Vikas Bival, Dinesh Bival, Yash Yadav, and Dhananjay Lokhande be held in judicial custody until June 2. Meanwhile, Khairnar's CBI custody has been extended by an additional five days. The CBI informed the court that this extension is crucial for identifying other suspects and tracing those who purchased the leaked documents.

The agency emphasized the necessity of investigating the financial transactions involved in the alleged scheme. They argued that it is essential to uncover how, when, and by whom this significant conspiracy was orchestrated. The CBI also stated that it is important to transport Khairnar to Maharashtra to present him before evidence, witnesses, and co-accused individuals. However, Khairnar's lawyer opposed these arguments, claiming that the investigation agency has already seized several devices and that the accused is cooperating with the inquiry. The 30-year-old Khairnar, a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) student, was apprehended by the CBI last week in Nashik, Maharashtra. According to sources, he allegedly purchased the 'predicted question paper' central to the NEET-UG leak from another suspect based in Pune for ₹10 lakh and subsequently sold it to a buyer in Haryana for ₹15 lakh. The CBI has also sought court permission to obtain signature samples from two other individuals, Manisha Mandhare and Shivraj Motegaonkar, who were arrested last week in connection with the ongoing investigation.