NEET-UG leak: Dehi court rejects key accused Manisha Waghmare’s bail plea

ANew delhi margaret court on tues dismissed the bail bond plea of ace of the key accused in the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak case, Manisha Waghmare, while observing that the accused people “sabotaged” the examination process “to satisfy their greed” and eroded the trust of several honest students in the exam process.In a 12-page-order, Special Judge Ajay Gupta of Rouse Avenue Courts, dismissed the bail plea of Waghmare, noting that she was an active conspirator of the “organised paper leak gang”.The court further noted that Waghmare used to circulate the paper in exchange for money from teachers and parents of NEET aspirants by providing them a guess paper with the exact questions matching the NEET paper. “She has also made all possible efforts to destroy the incriminating material (relevant guess paper/study material) before her arrest,” the court said.The court went on to emphasise how several NEET aspirants who “burnt the midnight oil” to compete with fellow candidates through their skills and competence, were left questioning the examination process because of the paper leak.The court observed, “In order to satisfy their greed, they (accused) sabotaged the NEET (UG) 2026 exam which was supposed to be conducted fairly and flawlessly”.The court added, “They not only caused huge loss to the exchequer but their abhorrent and illegal acts have eroded the trust of the sincere students in the process of this exam, who prepare for the exam with full zeal and honesty and by burning the mid-night oil, in order to compete with their fellow candidates on the basis of their sheer skill and competence”.The court further underlined that sincere students prepare for the exam, assuming that there will be a level playing field for all, however, the candidates who have already been provided with the relevant exam material, the court noted, qualify the exam by using unfair means, leaving behind deserving students.The court noted that investigation in the case was at a nascent stage and there was a possibility that evidence could be destroyed and witnesses could be influenced if Waghmare was let out on bail.During the bail proceedings, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) strongly opposed the bail plea, characterising Waghmare as a “conspirator” who allegedly obtained the leaked examination paper and distributed it further.Senior Public Prosecutor Neetu Singh argued before the court that Waghmare played a central role in the broader exam leak racket. “We have statements from students who said that they give money for question papers,” the CBI told the court.The agency further submitted that it possessed bank transaction records corroborating the alleged financial trail.According to the CBI, Waghmare was part of a conspiracy involving P.V. Kulkarni — a retired Chemistry teacher and alleged kingpin — in obtaining and circulating the leaked NEET-UG paper. Kulkarni allegedly distributed the paper through Waghmare, who in turn passed it on to one co-accused Dhananjay Lokhande of Pune.Lokhande allegedly collected the examination material from Waghmare and subsequently transmitted it to accused Shubham Madhukar Khairnar.Advocate Shreyas Gacche, appearing for Waghmare, submitted that Waghmare worked as a certified educational consultant who referred students to “good teachers” and earned commission through such referrals.