NEET Paper Leak Case: CBI Chargesheet Reveals How Exam Questions Were Secretly Passed On

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed its detailed charge sheet in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, which has become a cause of controversy across the country. In this charge sheet of about 94 pages, the investigating agency has claimed that no high-tech technology was used for the paper leak. The accused adopted a very simple method. They used to memorise exam questions, later write them on paper and pass on the information by marking the relevant NCERT chapters.

After the matter came to light, there was anger among students across the country and amid this entire controversy, the then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan also had to step down.

Who are the people facing the serious allegations in the CBI investigation?

In the charge sheet, the investigating agency has named three subject experts from the paper preparation team of the National Testing Agency (NTA) as the main accused. Among them, chemistry expert P.V. Kulkarni, botany expert Manisha Mandhare and physics expert Manisha Havaldar. CBI alleges that they had official access to confidential material during the question paper preparation and translation process, which was misused.

What was the method of paper leak?

According to the charge sheet, the accused used to memorise the exam questions and later write them on slips of paper in hotel rooms or other safe places. Along with this, in NCERT books, marks were placed on those chapters and paragraphs from where questions were asked. After this, this information was passed on to selected students through a network of trusted middlemen and some coaching institutes. The investigating agency says that the entire process was adopted in such a way that no digital evidence is left behind.

Has the role of coaching institutes also come to the fore?

CBI has claimed in its investigation that the motive behind the paper leak was not only financial gain but also the motive to show better results of some coaching institutes. During the investigation, handwritten notes were recovered in which possible questions were written to the students. The agency says that these notes and other documents have been of significant help in understanding the functioning of the paper leak network.

What questions have been raised on the security arrangements of NTA?

In the charge sheet, serious questions have also been raised on the confidentiality system of NTA. According to CBI, there was no effective system to search or monitor the experts working in the confidential section. This was the reason why it was possible to memorise the questions and carry them out. The investigation also revealed that one of the accused experts had back-translated a large number of questions within three days, further deepening suspicion on him.

What has come to light in the investigation so far?

So far 13 people have been accused in this case. Apart from the three experts of NTA, these also include coaching operators, middlemen and some candidates who allegedly took benefits. All the accused are currently in judicial custody. The CBI has registered a case under the Indian Justice Code (BNS), Prevention of Corruption Act and Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

On what scale did the investigating agency take action?

CBI started a large-scale investigation after registering the FIR on May 12. For this, a team of 72 officers and eight cyberforensic experts was formed. Raids were conducted at more than 90 places in five states including Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Haryana. During this period, digital devices, bank records, documents and other important evidence were seized. The agency has also frozen the bank accounts, lockers and demat accounts of the accused.

Along with the charge sheet, more than 20 thousand pages of documents, statements of 360 witnesses, 422 documents and 43 physical evidence have been presented in the court. However, CBI has clarified that the final confirmation of all the allegations will happen only after the hearing in the court.