NEET Paper Leak: CBI Charge Sheet Accuses 3 NTA Experts of Breaching Secrecy; Face Life Term and Rs.1 Crore Fine
NEET Paper Leak: The CBI filed a charge sheet at Rouse Avenue Court charging 13 individuals, including three NTA subject experts treated as public servants, in the NEET-UG paper leak conspiracy. Charged under the BNS, PC Act, and Public Examinations Act, they face potential life imprisonment and ₹1 crore fines for leaking question papers.
NEET Paper Leak: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has prepared a detailed charge sheet in front of the Special CBI Court at Rouse Avenue, New Delhi, that has accused 13 people in the NEET-UG paper leak scam case. Among those accused is one NTA subject expert each in Botany, Chemistry, and Physics Manisha Gurunath Mandhare (Botany), P.V.Kulkarni (Chemistry), and Manisha Sanjay Havaldar (Physics).
They have allegedly violated their official agreement of non-disclosure and duty of confidentiality. As far as the case is concerned, these academics have been treated as public servants and the CBI has relied on stringent legal provision of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Prevention of Corruption Act, and Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. These stringent anti-leakage and anti-corruption laws will make the accused face serious punishment, which can include life imprisonment for criminal breach of trust and fine not less than ₹1 crore for organizing paper leak. According to the charge sheet, there was a multi-state network in which question papers were used to earn money by providing access to candidates and coaching them offline up to ₹4 lakh.
Accused Subject Experts & Allegations
Even though the individuals signed the official certificates of confidentiality with NTA, it is alleged that they used their positions to access confidential examination questions and leak them to earn some money.
| Accused Expert | Subject | Key Allegations Cited by CBI |
| Manisha Gurunath Mandhare | Biology | Conducted private coaching classes from her Pune residence, accessed confidential questions prior to the test, and handled leaked materials. |
| P. V. Kulkarni | Chemistry | Held "special classes" for candidates shortly before the exam in Pune and shared leaked chemistry questions in exchange for money. |
| Manisha Sanjay Havaldar | Physics | Transmitted confidential materials electronically, facilitated the printing and delivery of leaked notes, and distributed them via associates. |
Key Legal Provisions Implementation
The CBI has filed cases against the three men under several acts in order to maximize deterrence:
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Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS): Section 316(5) (Criminal breach of trust by a public servant), which is punishable with imprisonment for life. Other offenses include criminal conspiracy, cheating, and disappearance of evidence.
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Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024: The provisions of this act dealing with “organized paper leak” impose imprisonment for a period of at least 5 to 10 years and a fine of at least ₹1 crore.
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Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act: Provisions under this act related to criminal misconduct and abuse of office by public servants provide for imprisonment up to 10 years.
Siddhi Sharma is an education journalist at Jagran Josh. A Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from IP University, she brings sharp newsroom instincts developed during her previous stint at Zee News. At Jagran Josh, Siddhi specializes in decoding the educational updates. Her coverage is highly exam-centric, ranging from curated news blogs for competitive exams to crucial school board and university news. Combining her strong media foundations with a research-driven approach, she creates reliable, high-utility content that helps students and aspirants stay ahead of the curve. Her writing is factual, engaging, and tailored to meet the fast-paced needs of modern learners and exam aspirants.
