NEW DELHI: Members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) staged a protest outside the National Testing Agency (NTA) office over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, demanding a ban on the agency.
Earlier on Friday, a Delhi court remanded accused Dhananjay Lokhande to six days of CBI custody in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case. The agency told the court that custodial interrogation was necessary to identify and arrest NTA officials allegedly involved in the leak and to probe the larger conspiracy behind the case.
The matter was heard by Special Judge Ajay Gupta at the Rouse Avenue Court, who granted the CBI’s plea for police custody.
According to the CBI, accused Dhananjay Nivrutti Lokhande, who knew co-accused Shubham Madhukar Khairnar, collected the NEET-UG 2026 examination material from co-accused Manisha Waghmare, a resident of Pune. The agency alleged that Lokhande then passed the leaked question paper to Shubham Khairnar.
The CBI further informed the court that on April 24, accused Yash Yadav received PDF files of the leaked question papers from Shubham Khairnar through Telegram.
Seeking Lokhande’s custody, the agency submitted that his interrogation was required for recovery of digital devices, electronic evidence, tracing the financial trail, and identifying officials of the National Testing Agency allegedly linked to the paper leak.
The agency also told the court that during investigation, banking transactions amounting to nearly Rs 6 lakh were found between Lokhande and co-accused Shubham Khairnar. The CBI said incriminating material, including bank statements and electronic evidence, had been collected.
While seeking police custody, CBI Prosecutor Neetu Singh submitted that Lokhande was arrested on May 13 from Ahilya Nagar in Maharashtra. A local court in Ahmednagar had granted a two-day transit remand on the same day.
Advocate Vikram Singh, appearing for Lokhande, opposed the remand application. He argued that the grounds of arrest had neither been supplied to the accused nor to his family members. He further alleged that the CBI obtained signatures of the accused and his relatives on blank papers.
He also submitted that the custody of the accused was being sought only to identify other accused persons and claimed that “all the recoveries have already been made from the accused.”
The CBI alleged that Shubham Khairnar had obtained the leaked paper from Lokhande for monetary gain and later facilitated accused Yash Yadav in distributing the leaked NEET-UG 2026 question paper.
According to the agency, on April 29, Yash Yadav received PDF files containing Physics, Chemistry, and Biology question papers through Telegram. The files have already been recovered during investigation.
The CBI is also interrogating five other accused arrested in the case — Mangilal Biwal, Vikas Biwal, Dinesh Biwal, Yash Yadav, and Shubham Khairnar — who were remanded to seven days of CBI custody by the Special CBI Court on Thursday.
While seeking their remand, the agency said the custody was necessary to identify officials of the NTA and other departments allegedly involved in leaking the NEET-UG 2026 question papers before the examination.
The CBI alleged that Shubham Khairnar procured the leaked paper on April 28, 2026, from Dhananjay Lokhande of Pune, who allegedly obtained it from an NTA source.
"Shubham made a deal with the said Dhananjay for purchasing the leaked question paper and for the purpose of selling the paper in lieu of money. Shubham made a deal of Rs.15 Lac with Yash Yadav." the agency submitted before the court.
The CBI also informed the court that WhatsApp chats between Yash Yadav and Shubham Khairnar were recovered from Yash Yadav’s mobile phone. “Though Shubham intentionally deleted the incriminating evidence, his mobile phone was seized for forensic examination,” the agency said.
According to the investigation, after receiving the leaked paper, Yash Yadav allegedly struck a deal worth Rs 10 lakh with accused Mangilal Khatik.
The agency alleged that Mangilal circulated printed copies of the leaked question paper to the friend of his son Vikas Biwal and also provided copies to his other son and cousin. The CBI further claimed that Mangilal arranged answers to the leaked paper from a teacher in exchange for money.
“The leaked question paper, as well as other incriminating evidence, has been recovered from the mobile phone of the accused,” the agency said.
The CBI also alleged that accused Vikas Biwal had come in contact with Yash Yadav during coaching classes in Sikar, Rajasthan.
All accused are scheduled to be produced before the court on May 22.
(With Agency Inputs)
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