NEET-UG Paper Leak: CBI Files Charge Sheet In Special Fast-Track Court Amid Parliament Showdown; 13 Arrested So Far

NEET Paper Leak Case: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday filed a charge sheet before a special fast-track court in the NEET UG 2026 paper leak case. The development comes at a time when the political slugfest has intensified between the government and the Opposition in Parliament on the paper leak issue. The fast-track court may to take up the matter on Wednesday.

13 Arrested So Far

The paper leak incident drew severe criticism for the government. The Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, had to resign following a massive students-led protest at Jantar Mantar. The CBI has arrested 13 accused persons in the case, all of whom are in judicial custody.

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The CBI has invoked charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, destruction of evidence and others under the BNS for the alleged offence of criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act and for offences under the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

"The CBI cited 360 witnesses, 422 documents and 43 material objects in this charge sheet. All 13 chargesheeted persons are in judicial custody as on date," a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

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On May 12, the National Testing Agency cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, held on May 3 for medical admissions, amid allegations of paper leak.
A re-exam was then held on June 21.

Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill Introduced In Lok Sabha

Seeking to amend a two-year-old anti-paper leak law, a bill that proposes to set up fast-track courts in every state for speedy trials of accused and enhances punishment was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

After six straight days of disruption over NEET fiasco, the Lok Sabha functioned smoothly when it took up for discussion a bill to amend the anti-paper leak law, which was introduced in the House amidst din. The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill 2026 with stricter punishment of up to 10 years in jail and Rs 50 lakh fine.

Union Minister of State for PMO Jitendra Singh introduced the bill, days after large-scale student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) forced Dharmendra Pradhan to resign as education minister. No discussion could take place on the Bill as the opposition refused to relent from its demand of seeking response from the government over police action on the student protesters in the national capital and other parts of the country.

PM Modi Promises Foolproof Law Against Paper Leak

The Act aimed to prevent unfair means in the public examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the railways, banking recruitment examinations and the National Testing Agency (NTA), among others. In the wake of student protests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised a law to deal with cases like the NEET-UG paper leak. He also said that cases of accused in such cases will be tried in fast-track courts.

(With PTI Inputs)