New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday filed a chargesheet before a special fast-track court in the NEET-UG paper leak case. The move came a week after students, led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), staged protests across India.
According to officials, the special court is likely to take up the matter on July 29. A total of 13 people have been arrested by the CBI in connection with the case.
"The CBI cited 360 witnesses, 422 documents and 43 material objects in this charge sheet. All 13 chargesheeted persons are in judicial custody as on date," a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.
The accused have been charged under Sections 315(5), 318(4), 61(2), 238 and 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023; Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988; and Section 10 read with Sections 3, 4, 5 and 11 of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
The accused, who are currently in judicial custody, are Yash Yadav, Mangilal Biwal, Dinesh Biwal, Vikas Biwal, Shubham Khairnar, Dhananjay Lokhande, Prahalad Kulkarni, Tejas Harshad Kumar, Dr Manoj Shirure, Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, Manisha Waghmare, Manisha Mandhare and Manisha Sanjay Hawaldar.
On May 12, the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, held on May 3 for medical admissions following allegations of a paper leak. A re-examination was subsequently conducted on June 21.
The controversy triggered nationwide protests led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), eventually resulting in the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. During the protests, the NTA terminated 47 officials and initiated legal and criminal proceedings against several others. The Union Government also removed Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi amid mounting demands from students and opposition parties for accountability over the alleged paper leak.