A Delhi court on Monday, 29 June extended the judicial custody of 10 accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case until 11 July, as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continues its probe into an alleged network that procured and circulated question papers ahead of one of India's most competitive medical entrance examinations.

Custody Extended at Rouse Avenue Court

The accused were produced before the Rouse Avenue Court via video conferencing on the expiry of their earlier remand. The court extended judicial custody of Yash Yadav, Mangilal Biwal, Dinesh Biwal, Vikas Biwal, Dhananjay Lokhande, Tejas Harshad Shah, Shubham Khairnar, Manisha Waghmare, Manisha Sanjay Havaldar, and Dr Manoj Shirure till 11 July.

This follows an earlier extension on 15 June, when custody was remanded till 29 June. The court had also permitted the CBI to interrogate accused Shubham Khairnar, Manisha Waghmare, and Dhananjay Lokhande inside jail on 17, 18, and 19 June respectively, for one hour each.

Key Accused and Their Alleged Roles

The CBI has so far arrested 13 accused in the case. According to the probe agency, Latur-based doctor Manoj Shirure allegedly facilitated three students — including the son of a coaching centre owner — in obtaining Chemistry questions from alleged kingpin P.V. Kulkarni before the examination.

Tejas Harshad Shah, a Physics faculty member at Pune-based Abhang Prabhu Medical Academy (APMA), is alleged to have received leaked Physics questions from co-accused Manisha Sanjay Havaldar. Meanwhile, education consultant Manisha Waghmare allegedly acted as an intermediary, mobilising students who reportedly paid lakhs of rupees to attend special coaching sessions where leaked questions were dictated and discussed.

According to the CBI, Waghmare also facilitated candidates for coaching classes conducted by NTA-appointed senior Botany teacher Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, who is suspected to be a co-mastermind behind the Biology paper leak. Chemistry professor P.V. Kulkarni has been identified as the alleged kingpin of the broader paper leak network.

How the Case Was Registered

The CBI registered the case on 12 May based on a written complaint from the Department of Higher Education under the Union Ministry of Education. Following the FIR, special investigation teams were constituted and searches were conducted at multiple locations across the country.

Re-Examination Conducted Under Tight Security

The National Testing Agency (NTA) successfully conducted the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination on 21 June after the original examination was cancelled amid concerns over alleged irregularities. More than 20 lakh medical aspirants appeared at 5,440 centres across India and 14 centres abroad.

Nearly 7 lakh personnel — including examination staff, police, observers, and administrative officials — were deployed for the re-examination. More than 95,000 examination rooms were monitored through over 1.38 lakh CCTV cameras, while over 51,000 signal jammers were installed to prevent electronic malpractice. Security measures included Aadhaar-based biometric verification, facial authentication, two-layer frisking, and real-time surveillance.

With the next hearing set for 11 July, the CBI's investigation into the alleged paper leak network is expected to deepen as interrogations continue.