CBI files supplementary chargesheet in NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, names 14th accused

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a supplementary chargesheet in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, naming an additional private individual and bringing its investigation into the leak to a close, officials familiar with the development said on Wednesday.

The latest chargesheet was submitted before a Delhi court and includes findings from forensic experts who examined the alleged leak. No government official has been named as an accused, with the agency finding no evidence of the involvement of any National Testing Agency (NTA) or other government official, an officer said.

The development follows the first chargesheet, filed on July 28, which named 13 people, including three subject experts appointed by the NTA, alleged middlemen and representatives of coaching centres.

Forensic findings included in supplementary chargesheet

The CBI had kept the investigation open after filing its first chargesheet to incorporate expert assessments from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), the Government Examiner of Questioned Documents (GEQD) and experts from Delhi University.

An officer said the latest filing includes the forensic experts' findings and concludes the probe into the paper leak.

“A thorough investigation was conducted to ascertain whether any NTA official or other government official was involved in the leak, but no such involvement was found,” another officer said.

The first chargesheet named three NTA-appointed subject experts: Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, who handled Botany and Zoology; Prahlad Vithalrao Kulkarni, responsible for Chemistry; and Manisha Sanjay Havaldar, who handled Physics.

According to the CBI's earlier findings, the same three experts were used at multiple stages of preparing the NEET-UG 2026 question paper. One expert was involved across all four stages, from item-writing to back-translation. During the final stage, the experts were given access to all four master question sets, resulting in prolonged exposure to highly sensitive examination material.

The agency has invoked provisions relating to criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust and destruction of evidence, along with sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

To support its case, the CBI relied on statements from 360 witnesses, 422 documents and 43 material objects.

NEET cancellation followed discovery of overlapping questions

The controversy erupted after the NTA announced the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 on May 12, following the discovery that at least 120 questions in a guess paper overlapped with those in the examination conducted on May 3.

A guess paper is a compilation of suggested questions prepared by subject experts and teachers using previous examination trends and patterns. The overlap was detected a week after the test, raising concerns about the security of the examination process.

The incident triggered widespread protests in Parliament and on the streets. The agitation, including demonstrations by young people under the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) banner, eventually led to the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The CBI subsequently investigated the alleged leak and the possible involvement of examination officials, experts and intermediaries. The agency's first chargesheet was filed on July 28, while the supplementary filing now incorporates the forensic assessments that had remained pending.

Government overhauls examination system

The paper leak controversy also prompted a series of changes at the NTA. The Union education ministry removed 50 NTA staff members on August 17, while the agency later announced a revamp of its examination team.

The NTA said 600 subject experts had been removed and replaced with new experts. It also introduced a four-tier scrutiny system for question papers as part of efforts to strengthen examination security and oversight.

With the supplementary chargesheet now filed, the CBI has concluded its investigation into the leak, according to officials familiar with the case. The agency has maintained that its probe found no evidence linking any government official to the alleged wrongdoing.