The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made a series of significant claims in its chargesheet related to the alleged NEET UG 2026 paper leak, stating that confidential exam questions were circulated to selected candidates nearly three days before the examination through social media platforms, encrypted messaging services and offline coaching sessions.
According to the agency, the investigation points to an organised network allegedly involving subject experts, coaching operators, intermediaries and other individuals who worked together to leak examination content before the national-level medical entrance test.
One of the key allegations centres on Chemistry expert P.V. Kulkarni, who is accused of conducting exclusive classes in Pune between April 25 and April 27 despite being bound by confidentiality. The CBI claims students attending these sessions were allegedly provided with questions and answers that later appeared in the NEET examination. Similar sessions were also reportedly organised in Latur.
Investigators have cited digital evidence, including location records, call data and visitor logs, to support their findings. The agency also claims that students’ handwritten notes closely resembled the final examination paper. Mobile phone data allegedly recovered during the investigation includes photographs of Chemistry questions and conversations connected to the case.
The chargesheet further alleges that after the examination, one parent contacted the accused to express appreciation after noticing that the predicted questions had appeared in the paper.
In another major allegation, Physics expert Manisha Hawaldar has been accused of leaking Physics questions after allegedly receiving money for doing so. Investigators claim handwritten questions were found on her mobile device several days before the examination and were later passed through intermediaries before reaching students.
The CBI has also named other accused who allegedly acted as coordinators between subject experts, coaching operators and candidates. According to investigators, students were enrolled in special coaching sessions after payments running into several lakh rupees were collected from parents. The leaked questions were then allegedly distributed through WhatsApp before the examination.
The investigation also points to Biology-focused study sessions conducted at a private residence, where students were reportedly instructed to concentrate on selected portions of NCERT textbooks that later matched the examination pattern.
Another important aspect highlighted in the chargesheet concerns an alleged coaching network operating in Rajasthan’s Sikar district. The CBI claims that a PDF containing highly accurate probable questions was distributed among dozens of students on the eve of the examination. Following the test, several students reportedly acknowledged that many of those questions appeared in the actual paper.
Investigators have also identified multiple WhatsApp groups that were allegedly used to exchange examination-related material. According to the agency, coded names were used to conceal identities and refer to different versions of the examination papers.
The chargesheet suggests that the alleged conspiracy had been in motion for several months before the examination, with students and parents reportedly being contacted from late 2025 onwards. Payments were allegedly collected through both cash transactions and digital transfers.
The CBI has further questioned the security protocols followed during the paper-setting process. According to the agency, weaknesses in handling confidential question papers enabled sensitive material to be taken out before the examination.
The investigation also refers to an academic analysis that reportedly found a very high similarity between leaked Biology and Chemistry questions and the final examination papers, strengthening the agency’s claim that genuine questions had been accessed before the test.
The case is currently before a Delhi fast-track court, which will decide on taking cognisance of the chargesheet and determine the next stage of legal proceedings.
