Crime
Delhi Court Allows Detailed Interrogation in NEET Scam Probe
A Delhi court on Saturday remanded alleged NEET paper leak kingpin P V Kulkarni and co-accused Manisha Waghmare to 10 days of Central Bureau of Investigation custody for further investigation into the examination leak conspiracy.
A special court in New Delhi on Saturday sent P V Kulkarni and Manisha Waghmare to 10 days of custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case.
Special CBI Judge Ajay Gupta passed the order after the investigation agency argued that the accused needed to be taken outside the national capital for further inquiry and that a larger conspiracy behind the examination leak was yet to be uncovered.
During the proceedings, Special Public Prosecutor Neetu Gupta appeared on behalf of the CBI and sought 14 days of custodial interrogation for both accused.
The agency informed the court that P V Kulkarni was a chemistry lecturer associated with the examination process on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and had access to confidential NEET-UG question papers.
The CBI further alleged that Kulkarni, who functioned as a subject expert, was involved in setting the 2026 NEET-UG question paper. Investigators also claimed that co-accused Dhananjay Lokhande had collected leaked examination material from Manisha Waghmare.
After hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence counsels, the court granted 10 days of CBI custody for detailed interrogation.
The NEET-UG 2026 examination was cancelled following allegations of widespread irregularities and paper leaks. The CBI has since expanded its investigation across multiple cities, arresting several accused and conducting searches to uncover the full extent of the alleged network.