NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak: CBI Says NTA Experts Recreated Exam Paper from Memory, Files 94-Page Chargesheet

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a 94-page chargesheet in the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, naming three subject experts associated with the National Testing Agency (NTA).

According to the chargesheet, the accused—P.V. Kulkarni, Manisha Mandhare, and Manisha Havaldar—allegedly leaked the examination paper during the moderation process. The CBI claims that the experts secretly noted down questions on slips of paper, marked relevant paragraphs in NCERT textbooks, and memorised the remaining questions before reconstructing the entire paper later in hotel rooms.

Investigators allege that the reconstructed question paper was then circulated through intermediaries before the examination. The agency says this method was deliberately adopted to ensure there was no direct copy of the original question paper, making the leak more difficult to trace.

The CBI has also pointed to serious security lapses inside the NTA office. According to the chargesheet, subject experts were not frisked or searched while leaving the Confidential Section on the first floor. The agency further noted that there was no dedicated control room for live CCTV monitoring, creating security loopholes that allegedly enabled the leak.

The chargesheet details the alleged modus operandi of the accused and marks a significant development in one of India's most high-profile examination paper leak investigations.

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