Delhi court rejects bail plea of NEET-UG paper leak accused Manisha Waghmare

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday dismissed the bail plea of Manisha Waghmare, an accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The order was passed by the Rouse Avenue Court after hearing arguments from both sides.

During the hearing, Waghmare's counsel argued that she is a certified education counsellor and receives regular income through counselling services. The defence contended that the CBI's allegation regarding a financial transaction was misconceived, claiming that around Rs 3.5 lakh credited to her account had come from the execution of a gift deed relating to ancestral property.

It was also argued that the CBI had conducted searches at her residence on two occasions but had not recovered any cash or material linking her to the alleged offence.

Opposing the plea, the CBI argued that Waghmare was not merely an education consultant but also ran a beauty parlour and played an active role in circulating leaked examination questions.

The probe agency claimed that Waghmare was involved in leaking examination questions to students in exchange for money and relied upon statements of candidates who allegedly stated that they had paid her for access to the leaked questions.

The Rouse Avenue Court, after considering the rival submissions, rejected the bail application.

The case pertains to the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper, following which the CBI registered an FIR on May 12 on the basis of a complaint lodged by the Department of Higher Education under the Union Ministry of Education.

According to the CBI, Waghmare was among the intermediaries involved in mobilising students who allegedly paid lakhs of rupees to attend special coaching sessions where questions that later appeared in the NEET-UG 2026 examination were dictated and discussed.

The agency has claimed that Pune-based consultant Waghmare facilitated prospective candidates for special coaching classes conducted by NTA-appointed senior Botany teacher Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, who is suspected to be the co-mastermind behind the Biology paper leak.

The CBI has identified Chemistry professor P.V. Kulkarni as the alleged "kingpin" of the paper leak network.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is scheduled to conduct the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination on June 21, with admit cards expected to be issued by June 14. The original examination was cancelled on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak.