The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to hear a petition seeking an investigation into alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG re-examination and the dissolution of the NTA. During the hearing of the matter, the Delhi High Court observed that the petition conflated claims for individual relief with relief concerning all candidates. The court also stated that such a petition could not be entertained.
Petition was previously transferred from another court
The petition had previously been transferred from another court and was being treated as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). Solicitor General Tushar Mehta refuted the allegations on behalf of the Central Government and the NTA. The Centre denied any irregularities or malpractices in the NEET re-examination and also dismissed allegations regarding the tampering of OMR sheets as baseless.
Last month, the CBI filed a charge sheet against 13 accused in the NEET UG 2026 paper leak case, including three paper experts, two associated with coaching centres, middlemen and a number of beneficiary candidates.
CBI invoked charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust
In its charge sheet which was filed before a special court, the CBI invoked charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, destruction of evidence and others under the BNS for the alleged offence of criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act and for offences under the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
In the charge sheet, the CBI cited 360 witnesses, 422 documents and 43 material objects and said all 13 chargesheeted persons are in judicial custody as on date. The CBI also attached digital forensic analysis reports, handwriting expert opinions and academic experts' opinions regarding leaked questions in its charge sheet.
CBI was handed over the probe on May 12
It should be noted that the probe agency was handed over the probe on May 12 regarding irregularities and allegations of paper leak in the NEET-UG 2026 Examinaton held on May 3. The examination was cancelled and later a re-examination was held on June 21. Notably, the NEET paper leak issue snowballed into a major political issue. A group of 'Gen Z' led by the Cockroach Janta Party launched a massive protest at Jantar Mantar, which led to the resignation of then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
After registering the FIR, the CBI got into action, raiding 92 locations in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and other states. During its two-month-long probe, the CBI unearthed the conspiracy from the source of the leak to the beneficiary candidates, leading to the "identification of the chain". The CBI then named three arrested National Testing Agency subject experts -- PV Kulkarni (chemistry), Manisha Gurunath Mandhare (biology) and Manisha Sanjay Havaldar (physics) as accused in the case.
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