NTA's own experts leaked NEET-UG papers for cash, CBI chargesheet alleges
The CBI has filed a chargesheet against 13 individuals, including three NTA subject experts, for allegedly leaking NEET-UG 2026 examination papers. The investigation uncovered a criminal conspiracy involving middlemen and coaching operators who sold the leaked papers for financial gain.
Why it matters
This case exposes significant corruption within India's national testing infrastructure, impacting the integrity of medical entrance exams for thousands of students.
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has concluded that the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak was the result of a well-coordinated, multi-state criminal conspiracy in which confidential question papers were leaked by National Testing Agency (NTA) subject experts and circulated through a network of middlemen to candidates in return for large sums of money.In a chargesheet filed before the Special CBI Court at Delhi's Rouse Avenue, the agency has named 13 accused, including three NTA-appointed subject experts, alleging they exploited their official roles to illegally access the examination papers before the test and pass them on through a chain of intermediaries.The three experts named are Botany specialist Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, Chemistry expert Prahlad Vithalrao Kulkarni and Physics expert Manisha Sanjay Havaldar.
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