A Delhi court on Monday sent three accused, including a Latur-based doctor and a Pune coaching institute faculty member, to judicial custody till June 15 in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The order was passed by the Rouse Avenue Court, which remanded Dr Manoj Shirure, Tejas Harshadkumar Shah and Manisha Sanjay Havaldar to judicial custody for two weeks.
The case relates to the ongoing CBI investigation into alleged irregularities and paper leak allegations linked to the NEET-UG 2026 examination. The central agency registered the case on May 12 based on a complaint filed by the Department of Higher Education under the Union Ministry of Education.
According to the CBI, Dr Manoj Shirure, a Latur-based doctor, played a key role in facilitating three students, including the son of an accused coaching centre owner, in obtaining Chemistry questions from alleged kingpin P.V. Kulkarni before the examination.
Another accused, Tejas Harshadkumar Shah, a Physics faculty member at Pune-based Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy (APMA), is alleged to have received leaked Physics questions from co-accused Manisha Havaldar.
The arrest of the three accused is part of a wider investigation into an alleged network involved in procuring and circulating NEET question papers ahead of the examination.
As part of the probe, the CBI has conducted searches at 49 locations across the country and seized several incriminating documents, laptops and mobile phones, which are currently undergoing detailed analysis.
The agency has reiterated its commitment to conducting a comprehensive, impartial and professional investigation and said efforts are underway to uncover the full conspiracy and identify all individuals involved in the alleged malpractice.
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports is holding discussions on issues related to NEET and the National Testing Agency (NTA), including concerns surrounding examination processes and the debate over conducting tests through pen-and-paper mode versus Computer-Based Tests (CBTs).
The parliamentary panel is also reviewing developments in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case and measures being taken to safeguard the integrity of future examinations. During a meeting last week, members emphasised the need to protect the sanctity of the examination, plug systemic loopholes and closely monitor the progress of the CBI investigation.
The NTA is scheduled to conduct the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination on June 21, with admit cards expected to be issued by June 14. The agency had cancelled the original examination held on May 3 following allegations of a paper leak, triggering widespread concern among candidates and their families.
Separately, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea seeking directions to conduct the NEET-UG 2026 re-test in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode instead of the existing pen-and-paper format.
A bench comprising Justices P. S. Narasimha and Aravind Kumar observed that the NTA was already dealing with multiple challenges and declined to issue any directions at this stage.
The bench posted the plea filed by Sudhakar Singh and others for hearing on July 27.
The CBI continues to investigate the alleged paper leak, while authorities prepare for the June 21 re-examination amid heightened scrutiny of the country's medical entrance examination system.
(With inputs from IANS)
