NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak: CBI Files Chargesheets Against 14th Accused, Hearing on October 22
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against Sheshrao Bajrang Suryavanshi, the 14th accused arrested in the NEET-UG 2026 question paper leak case, before a special court at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Courts Complex.
The specially designated Fast Track Court has listed the matter for hearing on October 22 and directed that a copy of the chargesheet be supplied to Suryavanshi.
Suryavanshi was arrested by the CBI in September. He was subsequently sent to judicial custody after his three-day remand with the probe agency ended.
Alleged Link to Question Paper Circulation
The CBI had earlier told the court that Suryavanshi was allegedly linked to Shubham Khairnar, a career counsellor arrested in Nashik, Maharashtra, on May 12. Khairnar is accused of circulating the question paper on social media.
The latest chargesheet follows the agency’s filing of a chargesheet against 13 accused on July 28. The court subsequently took cognisance of that chargesheet.
CBI Flags Security Lapses at NTA Office
According to the CBI, confidential NEET-UG 2026 question papers were leaked before the May 3 examination through a network allegedly involving National Testing Agency (NTA) subject experts, intermediaries, coaching operators and others.
The agency has alleged that three NTA subject experts responsible for translating, back-translating and proofreading question papers exploited security lapses to take confidential examination material out of the NTA office in Delhi.
The investigation found that accused P V Kulkarni allegedly wrote down all 135 Chemistry questions, along with their answer options, on small slips of paper and concealed them while leaving the confidential section.
The CBI also flagged gaps in CCTV surveillance at the NTA office. It told the court that CCTV footage was retained for only 20-25 days and that the confidential section lacked a dedicated control room to monitor live camera feeds.
NEET-UG Re-examination After Paper Leak
The NEET-UG 2026 examination, originally scheduled for May 3, was cancelled following the paper leak controversy. A re-examination was subsequently scheduled for June 21.
The CBI registered the case on May 12 and investigated the alleged theft of confidential questions and their subsequent circulation.
The case is being heard by a specially designated Fast Track Court at the Rouse Avenue Courts Complex. The court was constituted to handle offences under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and related matters.
