India, July 29 -- The CBI has filed a chargesheet against 13 accused in the NEET-UG 2026 question paper leak case. The chargesheet invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust and destruction of evidence, besides sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. All 13 accused are currently in judicial custody. The agency has cited 360 witnesses, 422 documents and 43 material objects as evidence against the accused. It said digital forensic reports, handwriting expert opinions and inputs from academic experts established that the question paper was circulated before the examination began.
The NEET examination was held on May 3. The CBI registered an FIR after receiving a complaint from the Higher Education Department on May 12 regarding alleged irregularities and a possible paper leak. Investigation teams comprising 72 members and eight cyber forensic experts were constituted. During the probe, the agency conducted searches at 92 locations across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and several other states. Electronic devices, communication instruments and documents seized during the searches were sent for forensic examination. The CBI said it traced the source of the question paper within weeks of registering the FIR and subsequently followed the trail to beneficiary candidates allegedly involved in the cheating network. A major crackdown began on May 13, when the agency arrested three National Testing Agency subject experts from Chemistry, Biology and Physics. Several middlemen and two persons linked to coaching institutes allegedly involved in obtaining the question paper were also arrested. As part of its probe into the financial trail, the CBI attached several bank accounts, bank lockers and a demat account linked to the alleged proceeds of the crime. The agency said it has concluded the investigation for the time being.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.