- Delhi court to rule on NEET-UG paper leak bail pleas.
- Accused's phone had 111 matching questions before exam.
- CBI alleges widespread crime affecting millions of students.
Jagran Correspondent, New Delhi | A Delhi court is scheduled to deliver its verdict on the bail pleas of Dr Manoj Bhagwanrao Shirure and Shivraj Motegaonkar, accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, on July 24. Both sides have concluded their arguments before the special judge's court at Rouse Avenue.
111 Questions Found Matching With NTA's Master Question Paper
During the hearing, the CBI claimed in court that this case is not just about a paper leak, but a crime involving millions of students and the credibility of the country's examination system. According to the agency, 36 images were recovered from the mobile phone of accused Motegaonkar, containing 132 handwritten chemistry questions. Investigations revealed that 111 of these questions matched the NTA master question paper.
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According to the agency, 13 accused have been arrested so far in the case. The court will now decide on the bail pleas of both accused on July 24.
Photographs Taken Around 10 Days Before The Examination: CBI
The CBI argued that these questions were leaked through PV Kulkarni, a member of the NTA's paper-setting panel. According to the agency, Motegaonkar had prepared handwritten notes based on these questions. Analysis of mobile data revealed that photographs of these notes were taken approximately 10 days before the exam.
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The investigating agency also informed the court that forensic tests found the recovered notes to be in Motegaonkar's handwriting. Furthermore, the bribe amount of Rs 5 lakh paid to purchase the leaked question paper was recovered from the residence of another accused, Shirure.
Opposing bail, the CBI argued that the paper leak disrupted the examination process, inconvenienced lakhs of candidates, and caused significant financial losses to the government.