NEET UG 2026 Paper Leak: CBI Chargesheet Alleges NTA Experts Copied Questions, Exploited Frisking And CCTV Gaps, Used WhatsApp &  Telegram Trail

The NEET-UG 2026 paper leak was allegedly not a last-minute operation. According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the conspiracy took shape months before the examination, with three National Testing Agency (NTA)-appointed subject experts allegedly using their access to confidential question papers to obtain and pass on questions to intermediaries for money.

The CBI has named 13 accused in its chargesheet filed before the Special CBI Court at Delhi's Rouse Avenue Courts. Three NTA subject experts, candidates, intermediaries, and private coaching providers are among the accused. The agency has alleged that the question papers moved through several hands before reaching aspirants who were willing to pay for them.

As per ANI reports, during investigation, as described in the chargesheet, brought together two sides of the alleged leak: gaps inside the NTA's confidential section and a digital trail outside it involving WhatsApp, Telegram, PDF files, photographs and mobile phones.

How the NTA experts allegedly obtained the questions

The CBI has identified three NTA-appointed experts: Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, an expert in botany; Prahlad Vithalrao Kulkarni, an expert in chemistry; and Manisha Sanjay Havaldar, an expert in physics.

The agency alleges that the experts were assigned translation, back-translation and proofreading work for different sections of the NEET-UG 2026 question papers. They allegedly used that access to reconstruct or copy questions before the examination.

The CBI has specifically pointed to the absence of frisking at the NTA confidential section. According to the chargesheet, experts were not routinely checked while entering or leaving the area, allowing confidential material to allegedly be carried out without detection.

Kulkarni allegedly used plain sheets provided for rough work during translation and back-translation to write down Chemistry questions and answer options on small slips of paper. The CBI claims he concealed the slips and took them outside the confidential section.

The agency has alleged that easier questions could also be memorised and written down later after the day's work was over.

Mandhare allegedly used a different method, according to the CBI. Investigators claim she relied on her familiarity with NCERT material to mark relevant portions in textbooks after returning to her hotel, allowing her to reconstruct questions.

Havaldar, who was involved in Physics-related work, allegedly noted questions in brief after returning to her accommodation in Delhi.

CCTV gap became another security weakness

The CBI has also raised questions over CCTV monitoring at the NTA's confidential section.

According to the chargesheet, the NTA had only around 20 to 25 days of CCTV backup available. Since the confidential work connected with NEET-UG 2026 had been completed on April 7 and the case was registered on May 12, the agency said relevant footage was no longer available when investigators began looking into the alleged leak, as reported by IANS.

The CBI has further alleged that there was no dedicated CCTV live-feed monitoring control room at the NTA. The agency claims this meant activities inside the confidential area were not being continuously monitored.

The alleged absence of frisking and the CCTV limitations, according to investigators, created an environment in which the experts could remove or reproduce confidential questions without immediately attracting attention.

Questions allegedly moved through WhatsApp and Telegram

The alleged leak did not end with the experts. The CBI says the questions were subsequently passed through a network of intermediaries and eventually reached candidates. Digital evidence forms a major part of the agency's case.

Forensic examination of seized mobile phones allegedly recovered PDF files, photographs of question papers, WhatsApp conversations and Telegram chats. Investigators also examined call detail records, phone extraction reports and location data to establish links between the accused.

The chargesheet states that a mobile phone belonging to accused Yash Yadav contained PDF files allegedly carrying leaked NEET-UG 2026 questions. Investigators also found Telegram conversations with a contact saved as “AP Broker”, which the CBI later identified as co-accused Shubham Madhukar Khairnar.

A mobile phone seized from Manisha Sanjay Waghmare allegedly contained a WhatsApp group named “NEET 2026”, which the agency has described as part of the communication network used by those involved.

The CBI says the digital records helped investigators reconstruct the alleged movement of the questions between the different accused.

According to the chargesheet, the questions allegedly moved through multiple intermediaries rather than being handed directly from the NTA experts to candidates.

Coaching classes allegedly used to circulate questions

The investigation also led the CBI to the activities of the NTA experts after they returned to Pune.

According to the agency, Mandhare and Kulkarni conducted special coaching classes in April, shortly before the May 3 examination. Investigators allege that students placed in these classes wrote down questions dictated by the experts, with some portions marked as important or very important.

The CBI also examined records from an access-control application used by the residential society where Kulkarni lived in Pune. The agency allegedly used visitor-entry and biometric records, along with call data and location information, to corroborate the presence of students and their parents at the premises during the relevant period.

The chargesheet also alleges that Havaldar provided 16 pages containing 68 Physics questions to the mother of an aspirant at Mandhare's instance.

CBI says conspiracy involved public servants and private operators

The chargesheet invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

According to PTI reports, the CBI has cited 360 witnesses, 422 documents and 43 material objects as part of its case. It has alleged that the evidence collectively points to a coordinated conspiracy involving NTA subject experts, coaching operators, brokers and candidates.

All 13 accused named in the chargesheet are stated to be in judicial custody.

(Inputs from Agencies)

Published on: Friday, August 07, 2026, 03:50 PM IST