A Delhi court denied regular bail to a doctor accused in the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, observing that the CBI’s material prima facie showed his role in an organised conspiracy that undermined the fairness of the examination and candidates’ confidence.
A Delhi court has declined to grant regular bail to a doctor accused in the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 question paper, holding that the material gathered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) prima facie disclosed his active role in an organised conspiracy, and observing that a leak of this nature, if established, strikes at the fairness of a national examination and at the confidence of honest candidates.
Special Judge (PC Act) Ajay Gupta of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order on July 24 while rejecting the bail application of Dr. Manoj Bhagwanrao Shirure, an accused in the CBI’s case concerning the alleged pre-examination leak of the medical entrance paper.
The Court took the view that the investigation prima facie pointed to the accused’s participation in the alleged conspiracy, and that the gravity of the allegations, the sensitive stage the probe had reached and the risk of witnesses being influenced together outweighed the case for release.
Recording the seriousness of what the prosecution alleged, the Court described the accused as one of the active conspirators of an organised paper leak gang who had allegedly played a role in leaking the NEET-UG 2026 paper ahead of the scheduled examination date.
Setting out the wider consequences of such conduct, if the allegations were ultimately proved, the Court observed,
“in order to satisfy their greed and to gain illegal wealth, they not only sabotaged the entire process of NEET (UG) 2026 exam which was supposed to be conducted fairly and flawlessly but by their aforesaid illegal acts, they have also brought disrepute to the Nation”
The Court added that the alleged acts had also caused a loss running into several crores of rupees to the government exchequer.
Turning to the effect on candidates, the Court remarked,
“Further, their abhorrent and illegal acts have also eroded the trust of the honest students in the process of this exam, who prepare for the exam with full zeal and honesty and by burning the mid-night oil, in order to compete with their fellow candidates on the basis of their sheer skill and competence.”
In assessing the material, the Court noted that statements of witnesses recorded during the investigation, including statements under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 the provision corresponding to Section 164 of the erstwhile Code of Criminal Procedure prima facie indicated that questions supplied through the alleged conspiracy matched 42 questions that eventually appeared in the NEET-UG 2026 examination.
The Court also referred to allegations that the accused had facilitated meetings for the circulation of the leaked questions, identified beneficiaries for the conspiracy, received substantial sums of money, and sought to conceal part of the proceeds, which were later recovered by the investigating agency.
According to the CBI, the doctor played an active part in facilitating the leak of chemistry questions before the examination. The agency alleged that, at the instance of a co-accused named P.V. Kulkarni, he arranged for a candidate to receive the leaked chemistry questions at his hospital during the third week of April 2026.
The prosecution alleged that he received Rs.5 lakh in connection with the arrangement a sum said to have been recovered later from his sister’s house during the investigation. It further alleged that he referred two other doctors to the alleged kingpin so that their children could obtain the leaked chemistry questions on payment of Rs.3 lakh each, and that he received a share of the money.
The CBI contended that witness statements and digital evidence collected during the probe established his role in disseminating the leaked paper as part of a larger organised conspiracy.
Opposing bail, it submitted that the investigation was at a crucial stage, involving forensic examination of digital devices, analysis of financial trails, corroboration of witness statements and reconstruction of the chain through which the questions were circulated, and argued that the accused’s professional standing and influence created a risk of interference with witnesses.
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Seeking bail, the accused submitted that he had cooperated with the investigation and appeared before the CBI on several occasions, had no criminal antecedents, and had been falsely implicated.
He contended that no leaked question paper had been recovered from him, his residence, his hospital or his electronic devices, that the alleged Rs,5 lakh could not be connected to him, and that the prosecution case rested substantially on the statements of co-accused. He argued that the investigation against him was complete and his continued custody served no further purpose.
Holding that the allegations concerned an organised conspiracy affecting a national examination, that the investigation remained at a crucial stage, and that the possibility of public witnesses being influenced could not be ruled out, the Court concluded that no case for bail was made out and dismissed the application.
Case Title: CBI v. Yash Yadav and Others