Today, On 7th January, The Supreme Court dismissed a plea seeking a court-monitored probe into the alleged CLAT 2026 paper leak, questioning the petitioner’s delay and asking why the complaint was filed on December 16 despite claims of a leak on December 6.
The Supreme Court dismissed a petition calling for an independent and timely investigation into the alleged leak of the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2026 question paper.
A bench consisting of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe observed that the examinations had concluded and questioned the petitioner about the timing of their appeal.
The Bench stated,
“You say on December 6, it was leaked. Why did you wait till 16th December to file (petition)? Before declaration of results, we would have appreciated,”
Advocate Malvika Kapila, argued that the petition was submitted within an appropriate timeframe and clarified that they were not requesting a re-examination.
Nevertheless, the Bench opted not to consider the application.
Earlier, A petition has been submitted to the Supreme Court demanding an independent, time-sensitive investigation into the alleged leak of the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2026 question paper.
The plea asserts that videos, images, and various digital materials being shared on platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram show the question paper and answer key being accessed and disseminated unlawfully prior to the examination.
The petitioners urge the Supreme Court to mandate a new CLAT examination overseen by an independent committee, should the allegations be substantiated.
Composed of law aspirants from Scheduled Caste, Other Backward Classes, and economically weaker backgrounds, the plea argues that thousands of legitimate candidates have been unjustly impacted.
The petitioners claim that the leak has irreparably compromised the integrity of the exam and ruined the essential level playing field that any public examination requires.
They highlight that with counseling and seat allotment set to commence on January 7, proceeding with the current results would cause irreparable damage to deserving candidates.
CLAT 2026 was held on December 7, 2025, from 2 to 4 PM, at 156 test centers across 25 states and 4 union territories. Organized by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs), it is the national entrance test for undergraduate and postgraduate law programs in 25 NLUs, with several other universities also accepting CLAT scores.
This year, more than 92,000 students applied for approximately 5,000 seats.
The plea states that just hours before the test, social media users began sharing images and videos purportedly showing the question paper and answer key.
Many of these materials bore timestamps from the evening preceding the exam around 10:15 PM on December 6 indicating that the paper had been leaked nearly 15 hours prior to the scheduled test. Some screenshots also contained messages offering access to the leaked paper for a fee.
According to the petition, these posts appear authentic as the Telegram messages lacked any “edited” label, a typical indicator of modification, thus lending credence to the claim that the leak took place before the exam.
The petition also points out that while the Consortium has since established a grievance redressal portal led by former Supreme Court Justice MR Shah, it has yet to publish any inquiry report or clarification. Candidates who logged concerns through the portal reportedly received no replies.
The plea contends that this silence has increased public skepticism and weakened trust in the integrity of the process. It emphasizes that examinations like CLAT, which play a crucial role in determining access to the legal profession, carry a constitutional obligation to maintain integrity and transparency.
Thus, the petitioners have requested the Supreme Court to appoint an independent committee or agency to verify the authenticity of the leaked materials, ascertain how the breach occurred, and enforce accountability.
If the allegations are proven true, they seek the cancellation of CLAT 2026 and its reconduction under the Court’s supervision to restore public confidence.
The petition has been filed through Advocate Malvika Kapila.
Case Title: Lalit Pratap Singh & Ors v. Consortium of National Law Universities
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