A Delhi court has refused to grant regular bail to a paediatrician from Maharashtra’s Latur district accused in the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, observing that the alleged conspiracy undermined the integrity of one of the country’s largest competitive examinations.
Special Judge (Prevention of Corruption Act) Ajay Gupta of the Rouse Avenue Courts said that the accused, Dr Manoj Bhagwanrao Shirure, had not only sabotaged the examination process but also brought disrepute to the nation and eroded the trust of honest students who had prepared for the examination through hard work and merit. It further held that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has prima facie established his active role in an organised examination fraud
The court dismissed the bail application after holding that the gravity of the allegations, the organised nature of the alleged criminal conspiracy, the sensitive stage of the ongoing investigation and the likelihood of the accused influencing witnesses outweighed the grounds urged in support of bail. The Court also extended the judicial custody of all 13 accused in the case until August 6.
The counsel appearing for CBI alleged that Dr Shirure actively facilitated the leak of the NEET-UG 2026 Chemistry question paper before the examination held on May 3. He said the accused arranged for Aditya Motegaonkar, son of co-accused Shivraj Raghunath Motegaonkar, to access the leaked Chemistry questions at Siddhivinayak Hospital in Latur during the third week of April 2026 at the instance of alleged kingpin PV Kulkarni, who was allegedly associated with the National Testing Agency (NTA) as a translator.
The agency further accused Dr Shirure of receiving Rs 5 lakh from the candidate’s family for facilitating the arrangement, noting that the amount was subsequently recovered from his sister’s residence during the investigation.
The counsel appearing for CBI further alleged that the doctor introduced two other doctors to the alleged mastermind so that their children could also obtain the leaked Chemistry paper after paying Rs three lakh each, with the accused receiving a share of the illegal proceeds. According to the counsel, the accused not only sourced beneficiaries for the conspiracy but also facilitated meetings for dissemination of the leaked questions and attempted to conceal the money received from the illegal transaction.
Opposing the bail plea, the national agency submitted that the investigation remained at a crucial stage involving forensic examination of electronic devices, analysis of digital evidence, financial transactions, mobile phone records, witness statements and reconstruction of the larger conspiracy behind the alleged paper leak.
It argued that the accused’s professional standing and social influence created a real possibility of influencing witnesses and hampering the ongoing investigation if released on bail. The agency also submitted that the absence of criminal antecedents could not justify bail in an offence of such magnitude involving a national-level competitive examination affecting millions of candidates.
During the hearing, the prosecution relied upon witness statements, including statements recorded under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (corresponding to Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure), as well as digital and documentary evidence allegedly collected during the investigation.
It was argued that out of 136 handwritten questions recovered from the mobile phone of co-accused Shivraj Motegaonkar, 111 matched the master question sets prepared by the NTA, while witness statements prima facie established that 42 leaked Chemistry questions ultimately appeared in the final NEET-UG 2026 examination.
Seeking bail, Dr Shirure contended that he had cooperated fully with the investigation, appeared before the CBI whenever summoned, had no criminal antecedents and had been falsely implicated.
He argued that no leaked question paper had been recovered from him, his hospital, residence or electronic devices, that the alleged recovery of Rs 5 lakh could not be directly linked to him and that the prosecution case substantially rested on statements of co-accused persons. He further submitted that the investigation concerning him was complete and that his continued incarceration was unnecessary.
Rejecting these submissions, the Court held that the material collected during the investigation prima facie disclosed the accused’s active participation in the organised paper leak conspiracy. It observed that the evidence on record indicated that the accused had sourced candidates, facilitated dissemination of the leaked questions, received substantial illegal consideration and attempted to conceal the proceeds of crime.
The Court concluded that the investigation prima facie established him as one of the active conspirators of an organised paper leak syndicate responsible for leaking the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper before the scheduled date of the examination.
The Court observed that the alleged offences had far-reaching consequences extending beyond individual candidates. It noted that the alleged conspiracy affected millions of NEET aspirants in India and abroad and, if proved, demonstrated that the accused acted out of greed to obtain illegal financial gain by sabotaging an examination expected to be conducted fairly and transparently.
According to the Court, such acts not only damaged the credibility of the examination process but also brought disrepute to the nation and caused losses running into several crores of rupees to the government exchequer.
Emphasising the impact of the alleged paper leak on genuine aspirants, the Court observed that the alleged illegal acts had eroded the faith of honest students who had prepared for the examination with dedication, sincerity and hard work while competing solely on the basis of merit. The Court held that offences of this nature strike at the integrity of public examinations and undermine public confidence in the fairness of the selection process.
Holding that the investigation remained at a crucial stage and that the possibility of the accused influencing public witnesses or prejudicing the investigation and trial could not be ruled out, the Court concluded that no grounds existed for granting regular bail and dismissed the application.
The Court also noted that the allegations disclosed prima facie involvement in an organised examination fraud affecting a national entrance examination and, therefore, the interests of a fair investigation outweighed the personal liberty claim advanced by the accused at this stage.
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